Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-31
THE TERROR OF THE DOGS.
A Talk With POundmaster Einstein-
The Tags for This Year.

"What is the style of dog tags this year,"
asked STAR reporter Of Poundmaster Elm
stein, as he was sitting on his dog-cage wagon
and about 70 start out in search OF O load of
CANNES.
"Well, they are made of nickel plate, bell
shaped, with number one side, ID. C. dog
tag, 1856, and with a dogs head in medallion
on the other side,'' said the poundmaster.
This is fastened to the dogs collar"
"Are the dogs more plentiful this year than
last?"
Eyes, more so than ever" said Mr. Einstein.
Were running ahead of last year in the sale
OF tags. The law has not been changed any,
but stands as it dd-S2 per tag The old cor
poration ordinance imposed a tax Of 81 per
year for each male dog and So per year for
each female, which had in I'LL cases to be paid
on the LIST of anuary. The law for taking a
accompany ones self there SIS fine and it
ought 10 be SO now, as they are a great nuisance
in u market house."
Elbow do you account for their increase over
last year?' asked the reporter.
They come into the city from the country
follow their masters in-get lost and do not
find their way home again. There's no other
way oil accounting for their increase so rap
idly" f
when was the pound established?"
"In is. - said Mr.. Ensten. "The number of
dogs caught from July /, 1873, to June 80 l $50
was 22.G4l, out OF which II ,O49 were killed as
they were not redeemed by their owners The
law says that dogs shall be kept in the pound
two Gays before being killed, but good dogs are
kept much longer, even for weeks, until they
find master who Is willing to pay tor the tag
When they get too numerous In the pound I
notify MI. +. n. Draney the contractor when
am going 10 KILL lac sends wagon and driver
carts away the bodies, dumps them on a scow
boat and takes them over the river to the
neighbOrhoOd OF Four Mile Rum where the
skins are taken off and the carcases go to make
up fertilizers for Old Virginia.
"lIOw are they killed? l have never changed
my nlanner-it is the best and least cruel. They
are shot in the head with u revolver. They die
instantly, and arc not sensible to pain. They
are all curted OFT at once, and the pound under
goes cleaning up after each shooting Four
men are employed at the pound as my assist.
ants and live ut the pound. Two horses are
kept at the pound stables for my use in CATCH
ing the dogs. The wagon is a heavy one, board
cd up on the sides. and with heavy wire net
work on the front and rear portions to keen the
dogs secure and afford them ventilation. The
net used is about three feet six inches in dame
ter, with q four-foot pole as handle. The rim
OF the net is made OF iron. The whole OF the
city and the county of Washington are patroled
Are there any other stray quadrupeds which
require much attention from your iorce?"
NO." said the poundmaSter, there very
few COWS kept in the city-not one-tenth part
many as there used to be- The CONSTABLE
nuisance is we'll nigh played out in Washing
ton. Geese and goats are also growing scarce,
and the only great source OF trouble are dogs
which will always give trouble. The old law OF
1871 required dogs to be inuzzled from the
10th OF June To the 18th of September This
part of the law has been repealed, and never
was Iully enforced. 1t was i, very cruel law and
caused more dogs to go mad than any thing
else
You then have some regard for dogs?" sue-
gested THE STAR reporter.
II do have IL fondncss tor good dogs and
always treat them kindly" said the pound
master "They mans best friend and will
stick closer To him than any animal on earth
and should be well treated. l never like to
shoot the dogs, though this lot falls TO me-