The evening times., 1899-06-22
4 BRIEF RESPITE FOR
TIE TAGLESS CANINE
The DOscatcher to Take a
Short Rest.
Recess to Allow the Owners of Ami.
mails to Procure Licenses.
Work of the Pound dmaster Thus Far
This SeasOn-tsuaI Number
of Victims.

The poor, downtroiden canine is abou
to have rest from his eXertions in elud
ing the Poundnaster and his emissaries
! When the 1st of the month arrives the
dogcatchers will cease to perambulate the
streets in their search for the tagless pup
/ and the unclaimed canine will breathe
I more freely in consequence. The tax OIL
| doss for the present year runs out on
| July l, and then all dog owners will be
! allowed about one month to comply with
| the terms OF the law and furnish their pets
with the proper credentials. The officers
having in charge the enforcement of the
! law are very indulgent to the public. They
| allow them one month or longer to secure
the tags Then if the dogs are not furnish
| ed with them the delinquent animals are
taken up and placed in the pound.
The dog atchers have been very busy
during the past few months. Just before
the time for the tax to expire is always a
busy season for the dogcatchers. They
have TO work about ten hours a day on the
hot streets, always on the alert for some
poor dog whose owner has not thought
enough of him to provide for him a tag
VI uo uaS lO5t HIS pdsSpUIl III
fight with some larger dog, or who has
fallen prey to the thieves that infest the
highways and byways of a great city and
who deal particularly with dog tags. There
is hardly person in this city who could
tell why anyone should steal Il dog tag at
this time OF the year. but the tags are
stolen every day in large quantities. II is
q hardship to be compelled to buy a pew
IS tag when the 80 issue is almost ready
for distribution, but then there are only
two kinds OF dogs, so far as doScatchers
are concerIed-those with tags and those
without. The former are treated with re-
spect and the latter are simply picked up
by their hind legs and tossed into a large
covered wagon, TO be taken to the pound
and probably converted into fertilizer and
soap.
The pound is very nice place for some
dogs; they seem TO like it and there are
some who are regular visitors. Their own
ers bail them out several times year and
provide them with new tags. The buildings
are large and commodious for the number
of dogs that are brought there and the
feeding is good. OF course. dog that gets
itself impoGndCd is in danger of execution,
but even that would be a blessing in some
cases. There are now about fifty dogs in
the pound and they are OF all sorts and
conditions. There are black and tans.
large masJIfs, vicious bull dogs, dogs of
almost every breed under the sun, living
peaceaJly together in the large cage-,ike
structure provided by the Government for
their detention. Poundmaster Eins;ein
Gays the dogs have been unusually healthy
this year and few cases of distemper have
occurred among his charges. The animals
all seem to be fat and sleek and some OF
them DO not mind their captivity in the
least The pound wagon adds from eight
10 fifteen animals 10 The number already
confined every day. and the barge which
takes a consignment of them down the riv-
or to the soap factory, keeps the number
in the cage at an average Of fifty.
The dog tags for SO are very much the
same as the Old ones, and are provided
with heavy wire rings in order that tn Y
may be attached to the collars of the Ii
censel dogs without trouble. There are
several thousand tags on hand. There are
about fifty thousand dogs in the city: that
is tie number OF dogs vino are accorded
the right TO run the streets and whose
owners provide them with franchises.
There are a number of dogs who have 10
tags and never have any, or own RS either.
for that matter. These animals are kept
on the jump all of the time by the "a
tivity of the dogcatehers. and they have
very little time to rest and sleep. TEere
have been a number of applications for the
new dog licenses already, but the tags
will not be given out until after the 1st
of the month. 1t requires no fOrmality to
get 4 dog tag. The owner Simply gees 10
the office of the Collector of Taxes and
asks for a tag. His or her name is taken
and entered in book opposite the number
of the tag, and the latter, together with a
printed license, which also bears the name
of the dogs owner and the number of the
tag. is turned over to the purchaser. Each
tag costs 50. The District runs no credit
department, and there are no reduction
sales Of last years tags. Bargain days in
dog tags Rave not YET been tried. 1t is
not believed that any more of them could
be disposed of if they sold for sl.S9 fian
at the present price. and the Government
is not going TO try it.