The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-23
"0UIDA'S PLEA"
The Novelist Makes Protest Against
Chainlng Dogs.

Will you allow me to say a few words
concerning the great suffering OF dogs
In your beautiful and historic country
No doubt this suffering has greatly in
creased since the persecution OF dogs by
Mr.. Walter Long. which the nation has.
with such blameable and incomprehen-
sible timidity and weakness, submitted
to. A large number OF persons who be-
fore this insensate muzzling order let
their poor animals enjoy a certain
amount OF liberty, now, TO save trouble
to themselves and avoid the danger OF
summons and fine. chain up their dogs
from one months end TO another, with
a wicked heartlessness more truly cul-
pable than many faults legally penal.
If there were in England any legis-
lation in the least degree enlightened
with regard to dogs. or founded on any
sound knowledge OF their wants, or
even on any kind OF common sense, IL
would be absolutely forbidden to tie up
dogs for more than few hours at a
time. To chain up, week after week,
the most vyvacious, sociable and active
of animals is a brutality so great that
il is marvellous that IL has ever been
permitted. The torture TO young dogs
is something too hideous to think of
without a shudder. 1t is like claiming
child in its most sportive years. for
between the natural playfulness and
want OF almost incessanI movement
characteristic of the dog there is an al
most exact resemblance TO the needs Of
childhood.
Throughout your country there may
be heard the almost incessant wailing
and moaning of chained dogs; dogs left
I'm solitude to pine away their lives; ILL.,
fed, unpitied, often unvisited for days
together. left to lose their intelligence,
their beauty, their health and strength.
in a torture utterly undeserved and
wholly inexcusable. Is Ii not possible
for the press to awaken some con-
sciousness in the owners of these mar
tyrs that every kind Of disease Is cre-
ated and propagated by the inaction
and neglect in which these poor
helpless, good creatures are kept?
Why keep a dog at all IL you cannot
keep him properly? A chained dog is.
against thieves, absolutely useless: his
barking and bowling are SO incessant
that his owner never attends to IL by
night or day, whilst he is. of course.
easily poisoned by any one whose in
terest 1t may be to do so.
AS a guard a chaj<Nad dog II, i repeat
absolutely useless; whilst he is OF all
living creatures the most miserable. In
your country even sheep dogs are tied
up, which 1 have never known in any
other district or any other country. The
exemption of sheep dogs from the dog
tax is not In their favor. as farmers
keep more than they need, starve and
neglect them. OF all dogs the sheep dog
earns. deserves and should receive a
full reward.
1t is altogether unintelligible to me
why "Britons who never should be
slaves" meekly accept the dictation Of
the Board of Agriculture with regard
to their dogs 1t is more than time for
the rural population to show its inde-
pendence and refuse to allow farm dogs
and house dogs to be tormented, whilst
hounds. barriers and sporting dogs go
free. The stupid and brutal edicts OF
what is called government do, no
doubt, render ii much more difficult for
owners to keep their dogs happy and
healthy; but meantime whilst awaiting
the reaction of the country against this
form @ tyranny, every dog owner In
bound In common humanity to give the
animals (Which II is his own choice to
possess) their proper share of food.
freedom, and that companionship which
is so essential to the wellbeing OF the
most sociable and imaginative of all
living creatures.-Letter to the Editor
of the London News