Daily Republican., 1885-08-22
The Dog Question.
ICOMMUNICATKD.l

The sensible comm un icatiou entitled
War on Dogs" in Wednesdays issue
of your paper has excited much com
ment, and suggested a few thoughts
which we hops your fearless paper will
circulate.
1t is admitted that the dog is mans
best friend from the brute creation. As
such be is entitled to kindly treatment
" hen harmless. and to merciful extinc.
tion when dangerous. The right Of
every man to keep = dog cannot be d is-
puted in this Land or the Free" but
the right to tax dogs and let cats 60 un-
taxed might bear discussion.
Is the misehievous monkey or the
acreeching parrot source of revenue
No; we have no monkey catcher or
parrot snarer sneakiDg up alleys, sniff
fnR for such pets. No tabby. .fancier
purloining our collarless felines from
doorsteps. Only our faithful dogs are
| subjected to such legalized CD ipjus.
tica. The worthless and the valuable,
II beyond the threshold, are grabbed
all are crowded into the pound that q
dollar may grace or grease the pockets
of the catcher. Then the torture of the
animals begin. The new dog pound ia
spoken of in the ncighborhood with
horror aud disgust. The wailings, the
howls, the yells of the poor creatures
are heard at Eleventh and Market
streets y Sometimes 1t seems rs If they
were tearing each other in their agony,
or being tortured by their keepers. Is
this the outcome Of mans superiority :?
If the wailings must be made to cease
let our city fathers remember that the
merciful man is merciful to his beast
l q md 10 hair ad
dogs in place where they may be well
kept while release is looked for,or de,
stroyed without suffering to the animal
and brutalization of the spectators. We
could say much about lessons ON cruelty
to animals thus given to the young,
famil:arizipg them with the idea of
giving pain ard hardening them to
lsuffering. These lessons may increase
our criminals In the future, or at least
train too many dog catchers tor the
lefty. Is Wilmington to be always be-
hind the van of progress, never in it,
never hoping TO drive it? Other cities
have merciful systems of extinction OF
Icanines. Can our killers not try drown
ling, or, better still, electricity?
Is it necessary to organize meeting,
lappoin. "a comm ission or call scienti-
ic convention, before an idea can be
made to reach our municipal brain ?
iOur dog law needs revision. Our dog.
catcher needs instruction, and his assist
ants bear watching. The one dollar
prize is dazzling, IL leads them to get
!up and 60 forth too early in the morn.
ling. A commissione or non commits.
lsioned d. C. went into q back yari, not
far from your Office one morning lately,
ard had Just laid hold OF tiny pup,
when q heighbor, who was up too early,
caused him to drop 1t and depart with
more ease than grace. Another less for
Itunate canine was snatched from door
step, perhaps his collar was in the
hcuse-we do not know.
Thieves have q natural dislike to
dogs they take advantage OF them
when they can and wherever they can !.
They DO not care to rob where the
faithful watch dog may give warning
lof their approach. Then why deprive
1.-THE house holder of hts protector, or
limit his right Of ownership in this
Especial protector. Ii an animal tax
must be raised, let it be on all pets, and
let the amount Of tax be in proportion
to the value of the animal. If the poor
man is made to pay for protection,
make the rich man pay for his luxury.
| Your correspondents remarks about
1.-TWO. legged dogs and their haunts are
Igood. The quadrupeds might be in
suited by comparison to some of them
(Pity we have not pound for some of
these bipeds.)
If our-illegal l.liquor catcher were e.
lenergetic as our unregistered. dog catch
or, the city exchequer would overflow
and many of our young men men and
! women would be saved from the danger
of mora bydrophobia.
II A CITIZEN AND REPUBLICAN,.