The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-05
CARE OF HORSES.
Formal Petition Presented to
Mayor by Humane Society.
Weak Spots in City Ordinance
Pointed Out.
SUGGESTIONS MADE.
MADE.
Want Police Given Authority to
Care For Neglected Animals.
Committee Asked to Wait For
Supreme Court Decision.

A petition has been received in behalf
of the horses of Topeka for a revision
of the ordinances providing for the pro-
lection of dumb amin ais. The petition
was presented to Mayor Hughes Wed
nesday afternoon by Samuel T. Howe,
Jesse Shaw and A. Wyman, all prom
inent members of the Foster Humane
society.
The Foster Humane society, a rep
resentative of the horse population OF
Topeka, has discovered that there are
not enough provisions in the cruelty to
animals ordinance to cover the work
which the society desires to do
There is nothing to authorize the po-
lice TO stable a horse which is left I'M
blanketed out in the cold.
There is nothing to warrant the police
in trying to doctor horse taken sick
while hitched on the street.
There is no provision for the con-
demning and killing of sick or crippled
horses.
1t would be risky for the police, or
anyone else, to do any of these things,
because whoever did them would be
personally liable for the cost or dam
age incurred.
The result of the conference between
Mayor Hughes and the Humane society
officers was a decision that a new or
dinance shall be drawn up by E. S.
Quinton, attorney for the Foster HUI
name society, and presented at the next
meeting of the council.
What the delegation from the HUI
name society originally wanted was an
order from Mayor Hughes instructing
Chief Stahl to attend to the work which
the society is trying to do Mayor
Hughes declined to grant any order of
this kind. He said:
Il wish you gentlemen would cone
back next week and take up this mat
ter with me. 1 don't feel like starting
in on campaign of this kind without
knowing that 1 am to be here to see it
through. L expect that next Saturday
the supreme court will have a decision
ready in my case, and then, if am
mayor, [ will do all 1 can to aid you.
If Mr.. Parker gets the office, 1 fell sure
that he would rather start the thing in
his own way. He is a horseman, and
perhaps has warmer place in his
heart for horses than even 1 would
have"
The committee from the Humane so
ciety explained in some detail the
things which they desired to accom-
plish, and it was then decided, upon in
vestigating the ordinances, that new
ordinance would be necessary to ACCOM-
pliSh the work.
Il remen Der one case" said Jesse
Shaw, where a horse was taken sick
while hitched on the street, and the
owner was no where to be found
policeman called a veterinary to look
at the horse, and see what could be
done for the animal, which was evil
IDENTIFY suffering great pain The vet
Urinary looked at the horse, and said,
Yes, 1 could give it a dose which would
I,
it without authority. If the horse should
die, the owner would hold me RESPONSE
BILE There was apparently nothing
which could be done for the suffering
horse, because no one had authority to
do anything"
One of the principal things which the
Humane society desires to be prepared
for is the care of horses which may be
left unblanketed on the street during
| the coming winter. Horses are some
times left standing all day without feed
| or water. The city ordinance provides
a penalty for the owner of such
| horse or horses. but does not specify
any way in which the horse may be re-
| lieved. The police have no authority
| to take up a horse unless it is a stray.
"A short time ago." said one of the
| committee, "a policeman in North To-
| peka took UP a team which had been
| hitched on Kansas avenue from Z in
| the morning till at night, without feed
| or water. He took the team to the po
| lice station, and asked what he should
| do with it. Chief Stahl declined to
| authorize the policeman to put the team
| in a stable to be fed and cared for,
because the city would be liable for the
| cost. The team was turned into the
pound, and cared for as well as posi-
| BILE"
| The only way provided by law for the
| condemnation and killing of worthless
horses and other animals is by putting
| them in the pound for ten days. after
| which, if the animal is not claimed,
| and is appraised a less than IS, it may
| be killed by the police.
In spite of the lack of city ordi-
! nance on the subject, the Humane So
ciety has been proceeding under state
| law, and has during the past year, had
| 20 broken down and crippled horses
| condemned and killed 1t has been Gus
tomary to call in a veterinary, and if
| he decided that the horse was past
| hope to have the animal killed. The
| question then arose as to who should
| pay for taking the animal to the Gre
matOry The crema tory ballxS at haul
! ing the animals under the city's general
| contract for unclaimed dead animals,
| and the erstwhile owner of the animal
| wants nothing further to do with the
case Several times it has been hard
| for the Humane society to get rid of the
| carcasses of animals which have been
| illegally executed" Mayor Hughes told
| the committee yesterday that the pro-
| posed ordinance ought to make it spec
| ific that animals killed by order of the
| citv must be taken care of by the new
| desiccating works under the general
/ contract.