Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10
DOGS AND THE LAW
Regulations Applied to the CANNES
Of Washington.
MUZZLES MAY Be REQUIRED
The Tax-Tag Statute and Its Various
Provisions.
THE IOUNDMASTER'S DUTIES

| During the past few weeks several mad.
! dog scares have startled the people in diff
| ferent sections of the city, and this has
| raised question as to why the dogs are
not muzzled, they were years ago,during
| that part of the heated term known as
! dog days" Formerly owners of dogs
were required to muzzle them, but since the
dog-tag law has been in operation the au-
| thorities have not required the use of muz.
zles. In the days Of muzzles the police used
| their pistols on animals caught roaming
the streets unmuzzled, but now the pound
master impounds the unlicensed CANNES
From time to time legislative action has
been taken, and the result is number OF
laws applicable to CANNES and their own
| ers. The police are in receipt of complaints
| of all kinds about dogs almost every day,
but in most Instances they advise the ag-
| grieved parties to swear out warrants
| Cases of this kind involve much trouble
| Convictions for theft of dogs are few and
far between.
The Dog-TnR Law.
| Under the act of Congress provision is
made for the issuing of tags at 81 apiece.
| and the presence of the tag on the dog s
| cellar gives the canine the full protection
| Of the law. Failure to have the tag is pun
| ishable by a fine of not more than $40. A
! tag is good only on the dog for which 1t
was especially purchased.
Section of the act of Congress referred
| to says:
1T shall be the duty Of the collector of
| taxes upon the receipt Of So to give to each
person paying the same a suitable metallic
| tag, stamped with the year, showing that
said tax has been duly paid. The collector
shall keep a record of all such payments,
| with the date thereof, and the name, color
and the sex of such dog and the name of
the person claiming any dog SO paid for"
Section of the act defines the duty of
! the poundmaster respecting dogs. 1t reads:
THE poundmaster of the District of Co.
lumbia SHALL during the entire year. seize
all dogs found running at large without
the tax tag attached, and sh I'll impound
the same. If within forty-eight hours the
same are not redeemed by the owners
thereof by the payment of 81, they shall be
sold or destroyed, as the poundmasser nav
deem advisable, and any sale made by vir-
| tue hereof shall be deemed valid to all in
tents and purposes in all the courts of the
District of Columbia
Dogs as Personal Property,
The fourth section of the act defines the
dog as an article Of personal property, and
gives the licensed CANNES the privilege Of
running at large. This section reads:
ANY dog wearing the tax tag herein
provided for shall be permitted to run at
large in the District of Columbia, and shall
be regarded as personal property in all
the courts Of said District. Any person
injuring or destroying the same shall be
liable to a civil action for damages, which,
upon proof of said injury or killing. may
be awarded in sum equal to the value
usually put UPON such property by per-
sons buying and selling the same, subject
to such notifications as the particular cir
cnmstances OF the case may make proper"
Under the provisions of the fifth section
n do lnINl 60
civil action for any damage done by a dog
to the full amount Of the injury inflicted.
In this connection may be cite1 an act
of the late legislative assembly, which also
the Police Court civil power. This law says
that the owners of dogs who have COM
Piled with all the requirements of existing
laws relating to dogs, and those which
may hereafter be passed. shall be entitled
to recover, upon proper proof Of ownership
before the Police Court other court of
the District, any dog which may have been
lost or stolen; and any persons who may
be convicted of stealing a dog shall be
liable to fine Of not less than s. nor
more than $50, with all costs of trial; and
from and after the passage of this set
dogs shall be deemed and held to be per-
sonal property
In legal circles some doubt as to the
validity of this law is expressed, as the
act virtually makes the stealing of a dog
a distinct offense and makes the penalty not
more than $50. In event of this law hold
ing good, the theft OF a valuable dog could
probably not be prosecuted under the act
for grand larceny.
May Require Muxzlcs.
Congress, in dealing with the CUES ton of
dangerous dogs, worded section 7 of the act
in this manner:
whenever it shall be made to appear
to the Commissioners that there are good
reasons for believing that any dog or dogs
H.
the duty Of the Commissioners to issue
proclamation, requiring that all dogs SHALL
for a period to be defined in the procla-
nation, wear good, substantial muZzies
securely put on, so as to prevent them
from biting or swapping. and any dog rum
ming at large during the period defined by
the Commissioners without such muzzie
shall be taken by the poundmaster and i'm
pounded, subject to the provisions of sec
ton 81
In this connection Congress also made
provision for the punishment Of the owners
of dangerous dogs by providing that III
any owner or possessor OF a fierce or dan
gerous dog permit the same to go at large
within the District Of Columbia to the
danger or annoyance of the Inhabitants he
shall forfeit and pay for the first offense
$40; for the second, sum not exceeding
$50 and upon a third conviction. for the
same offeEse, the Commissioners shall i'm
medlately cause the dog upon account OF
which the conviction takes place to be
slain and buried.
For the offense Of cnticng from the
street or other place any dog for the pur-
pose Of removing the tag or killing the AMI
NAL a penalty of not more than $50 is pro-
vided, while 1t is punishable by fine of
from IS to SO for putting on one dog tag
purchased for. another.
Police Regulations.
During recent years the District Com
missioners have passed regulations con-
corning the keeping Of dogs. Two sections
of them are as follows:
No person shall own or keep, In the Dis
trict of Columbia, any animal of the dog
kind which by barking, bowling, or in any
other manner whatsoever, disturbs the
comfort or quiet of any person.
No animal of the dog kind shall be al
lowed to go at large without a collar and
tag, as now prescribed by law, and II he
be Of quarrelsome or dangerous DISPOSE
lion he shall Furthermore be secured by
chain or cord held in the hand of some
person accompanying him.
The penalty clause for these sections pro-
vides that:
Any person violating any of the pro-
visions of these sections shall, on convic-
ton, be punished by a fine of not less than
IS nor more than $50, and. in addition, in
case of the biting of any person Except
H.