Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-16
The Dog Nuisance.

We hope that while the editoS Is de-
yisiug ways OF discriminating rie dogs
I'm hichmond. he viii propose some way
by which tax-paying citizen may Keep
a medal on his dog. There are many
persons In this city who buy seVefa
medals a year for the same dog, the
medal being stolen, sometimes the uay
it Is put on. How. then. TX "dog-ca'ch-
ers'' are sent out every day, as proposeu
By the Dispatch. Is the owner OF vaiu-
able dog costing sometimes several
hundred doilars) to have any guarantee
that his dog will not be chased IN
jured, and, perhaps. killed before ne
can recover his property? AS TO the
absurd reason given by the person VINO
decided not to locate in Richmond De-
cause he saw dogs on the streets, we
think the city Is better off without
person so lacking in common sense
The Dispatch, We think, has overlooked
the fact that there are, particularly III
the South, large number OF very de-
sirable citizens who like and value the
dog as mans most faithful friend, 10
whom il would be a very good reason
not 10 live in city where IL was made
Impossible. or very nearly so, for per-
son to keep dog. The writer Is no
advocate for allowing dogs 10 be nui-
sances. and, I'm owning many dogs. he
has always followed the rule of shut
ting them up at night. Let the police
men, who seem to have good deal
OF leisure lool; about them and promptly
report individual cases Of disturbance.
II the proposals Of the Dispatch are
| carried out. one would have 10 spend
his whole time In mDding his dog, or
| give II 70.
There are many worse nuisances In our
| city than the dogs: II they are ''muz-
lied "sthe boys should be handcuffed;
for the writer counted in one afternoon
ten boys with gravel-shooters, In an
area IF as many squares. on several
| occasions stones have been hurled in
the windows OF the dinng-room while
the family were at meals and in some
| OF the best sections of the city ladies
heco been knocked senseess by stones
! and base-lalls II is easy TO kick
dog. but little troublesome to catch
ard deal with mothers man.
DAPHNE.
II Richmond aspires to become great
1 city il will have to adopt such rules and
regulations as have aided in developing
| metropolitanism In other cities. All the
great cities OF the world legislate against
! dogs going at large unmuzzled. Expert
! ence has taught that this is necessary
/ in the interest of the safety and comfort
/ OF the people And IL Is more than ever
Necessary now that bicycles have come
into general use and since the wheelman
is at all times at the mercy of any
snarling, swapping cur who may spring
at him and seize him by the leg
fasten his teeth upon the tire OF his
wheel Nor should bowling dogs be al
/ lowed upon any ones premises A howl
ing dog is an abominable nuisance to
well people: but he is a positive torture
to many sick and nervous persons.
Arguments of like character as those
which Daphne" now offers in behalf Of
dogs were offered in behalf of hogs when
| hog-pens were allowed in the
city, and again when cows had the pri-
vilege of roaming the streets. But, af-
ter years and years OF heated discussion,
| the present ordinances with respect to
hogs and COWS were adopted. And near
~ every intelligent man knows that as
Richmond increases in population the
privileges now allowed to dogs must be
curtailed The time &ill come when no
/
| streets Of Richmond. The time Will come.
also, when the owner of every bowling
dog will have to remove the dog from
the city limits. or else pay fine OF
about s. per day for keeping the dog
on his premises.
OF course, we know that all of these
things are coming TO pass; not to be-
iieye that they are coming to pass is
to believe that Richmond will never
take on the greatness of metropolis;
but, for the present the Dispatch
(Which likes to be moderate and con-
servative in all things only proposes that
our Anticipated and ludicrous dog-catch-
ing system be abolished, and the modern
method be adopted in its stead. Under
the modern method we would employ
two men who would be on the streets
every day These two men, we believe,
could 80 increase the city's revenues
from the sale of dog medals as 10 meet
all the cost of their employment. In
addition to taking up all dogs not medal
led, these two men could from time
to time find opportunity TO report dogs
that howl o. nights to the discomfort
of their neighborhoods
1t is undoubtedly true, as Daphne"
says, that there are many very bad
boys In Richmond. But we think that
the Chief of Police and Police Justice
are now giving them more attention
than formerly.
We never heard of 1.-The absurd per-
son" who would not locate in Richmond
because he saw dogs upon our streets
but IL Is a fact that strangers, coming
here from great cities, are astonished
at the number of ours that prowl about
| o,r ,traafa and allows