Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-24
DOGS IN KAISER-LAND.
A Few Simple Regulations That We
Might Copy With Advantage.

From the London Mail.
Undoubtedly the Germans are among the
best citizens in the world, for they are
always ready to sacrifice individual liber-
ty for Tie good of the community
This makes the carrying out of vaccina-
ton laws. muzzling orders and such things
a very easy matter. For. although the
German may feel as strongly opposed as
the Engiishman TO certain regulations, he
fully believes that the authorities
a thousand times more likely than himself
to be right, and he quietly surrenders
his own opinion for the benefit of all.
The result of this national characters
tic is that in connection with such things
rabies, foot-and-mOuth disease and
other things OF the kind that give our own
government so much trouble, the German
government mas no difficulty at all Ex-
perts get free hand. and, whatever the
evil, ii is usually removed in suroris-
iDsly short time.
In this way the disease of rabies in dogs
has been made exceedingly rare, and n.y.
sdrophobia in man almost eXtIrDated. And
yet there is no universal muZzling order.
The system adopted, in fact, is one which
throws responsibility for the dogs good
behavior on its owner.
During the first two weeks of January
every dog in Germany has to be taken to
the nearest police station, where it is care
fully examined by a veterinary surgeon.
If it is found to be suffering from an in
durable disease or so old as to be a NUS
ance, ii IS painlessly destroyed, and the
owner must find himself another compan-
Ion II nothing is wrong with the dog the
owner must pay the tax, as a receipt for
which re receives metal disk, to be sus-
pended from the dogs neck. This disk also
indisputable evidence that the tax has been
paid. II is of different color every year
50 that a policeman may be seen at glance
whether the dog fancier has acted the
part OF an honest citizen The disk also
bears a number. and opposite this number,
in the books of the police Office is the
licensees name and address, so that the
dog can always he traced. II the animal
changes masters during the year ne must
again be brought to the station, and The
new owners name registered.
In addition TO the disk. every dog owner
receives very useful piece of paper. con-
tanning Il minute description of his dog
breed, age. size. color. &c. with advice
as TO how to recognize rabies in its early
stages. and also to what should be
done in the case of bite.
II the tax is not paid promptly an Off
Ger calls and demands double the amount
or the surrender OF the dog. II the ami
NAL Is found on the street without his la
bel the owner is fined a certain sum- no
excuse being taken And IL a dog whose
owner cannot be traced is found straying
without a label, he is at once DESTROYED
As to muzzlng. it is not general. but in
some cases IL Is enforced And here again
there Is no uncertainty. the three cases
in which muzzling is insisted on being
when rabies breaks out in the neighbor.
hood. in the case OF all very large dogs
when they are taken through the public
streets and in the case of every dog be
he large or small, known TO be vicious
OF course, all these regulations are ap,
to be somewhat irksome occasionally but
on the whole. they benefit not only the
people. but the dog also. In no part Of the
world are dogs so much '1ved SO wei
cared for as IN Germany. There are nc
feeble, sick, starving homeless dogs
and hydrophoba, the most fearful disea 81
In nature, is practically non-existent. In
one province. for instance, before these
regulations came into force. there were
reariy 800 raoid dogs every year, while