The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-05-30
O bANNON' SW0ES
DOG OWNERS ARE HOT AFTER
THE CANINE CATCHER.
CHARGE HIM WITH CRUELTY
They Say His Steel Wire and Club Are
Unnecessary in Capturing the Tag
less Administrators in Other
Cities-How the Job Can Furnish
a Graft-L;censes Issued.

TIE, troubles of Alex O'Bannon, official
dog, catcher. for the City of Butte, have
been treasing daily since he started his
Z USAGE aga INST the Gu. until they have
reached such proportions that the ebony
hued terrier killer, seriously thinks of
asking for an escort of police while en-
gagged in his work. O'Bannon is so per-
sistent in the re. Torrance of his duty
that the oWne. S Of dogs corallad by him,
have charged that he is unnecessarily
crue! IN his treatment of their pets, when
ne hndss them on the streets minus the
required tag.
Regardless of the objections of the dog
o"Hers QlSlnterest Cd afties say that it Is
Tue nat the dog cat her does not handle
the dogs with as mucn considerati ton as
they are given in Otae.' cites. Armed
with good sized club in one hand and a
long st wire in the other hand. the dog
-ridder ventures forth to nab the first cur
he encounters without the required tag
fasteHed to a collar about it's neck. The
vie is hooked acout the dog in the mos
convent mt lace,i any resist Ance is shown
the animal is subdued by means of the
club. Often the wire pulls taut around
the dogs tody and marks are left as evi-
dence of the treatment the unfortunate
creature has been subject d to-
1t is pc nted out that all well equipped
dog catehers in most cities are supplied
with cord net attached to lon:
handle. This is usel to throw over tn,
dog. which if wild, is captured by means
of a rope lassO. The net is closed by
pulling string at the end of the handle
and the dog rendered completely harm
less to ALL The door to the dog wagon
is thrown oren and the dog and net are
placed within. The net is easily removed
and not scratch is left on the canine
That it is claimed saves all trouble to the
dog catcher, Il the:e happens to be mis-
take and it is found as is frequently the
case, that the nee ssary license has been
rad, but the tag removed or lost, from
the dog.
The City of Butte pays the dog catcher
80 cents for each dog captured by him,
on which no license has been taken out,
and it is to the dog catcher's interest to
nail all the ours possible.
1T has been often charged in various
cities where the dog catcher's job is
considered one of the best within the gift
of the municipal corporation said dog
owner today that compact has been
entered into between some one and the
catcher for the removal of tags from
dogs which the license has been paid.
This would give the dog man an oppor-
tunity to pull the dog the second time
and collect his fee. In order to stop this
practice it was provided no fee should
be paid on a dog. on which the license
had been pad. Notwithstanding the tag
was not in evidence at the time of the
capture.
..The dusky dog terrifier of Butte fares
much better than those of other cities,
however He seems to be provided with
the friend in need. Hardly had Alex sue
ceeded in capturing nearly all of the vag
dogs in town and proposed to either col
lect the license. or drown the CANNES
when some kind friend delibera tely
knocked board off the pound yard fence
and OVER 200 dogs were turned loose on
the streets Of Butte to give Alex another
tussle for that so cents per head. OF
course. no one knows who removed the
board from the fence
Since the start of the crusade against
| the dogsby O'BannOn a week ago. 6S5 Ii
| cerises have been taken out at the rate OF
| $500 each.