The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-16
SUMNER BOARD FOR PETS
INSTITUTION WHERE DOGS, CATS,
BIRDS Nj FISH u GUESTS.
i'm Hot Months when own
ers of the Dumb Creatures Are
Out of Town.
Philadelphia Record.

Reasonable rates
Advertisements more or less like the above
have been appearing Of late in a number of
newspapers. They are the advertisements
OF a curious and humane business-the ami
NAL hotel business-the business of looking
after pet animals in warm weather during
their owners absence from town. There are
a dozen animal hotels in Philadelphia, but
they only take in cats and dogs. There is
only one hotel that takes in cats and dogs
and birds and fish,. too. This establishment
is on Market street. and it is very large.
v ' complete. very elegant.
.~day 1T is almost full. There are on its
register now 200 birds. go fish. fifty dogs and
seventy-hve cats. Applications for board. if
its business keeps on growing, will have to
be filed in advance before long. Two young
men run this animal hotel-run it in con-
nection Will a pet stock store. Pet stock is
q term that embraces dogs. cats, birds, fish,
rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens. etc, and
they who deal in such creatures as these
naturally make the best keepers Of hotels
for such creatures as these. Tor they know
their patrons want and what it is best
for them TO have.
The. rates that the animal hotel keepers
charge are as follows: Dogs, 81 per week;
cats. g per week; birds. each. % cents per
week; fish, no charge.
The animal hotel occupies three big rooms.
One room Is for the dogs, another for the
cats. the third for the birds and fish. Each
of these rooms is well lighted, airy and
clean. The dogs and cats compartments
are OF metal. also. and cages and compart-
ments alike are disinfected three times a
day~The aquaria are big and the water in
them Is cool and clear. They, too. would be
disinfected thrice daily if the process would
do their quiet occupants any good.
Tho ounO a urhn VoanoUaa tho animal
hotel is intelligent. This is the way we
keep our dogs he said. yesterday. and he
led the way into a clean. bare room, with a
skylight, through which an abundance or
sunlight fell. The room was cool and the
dogs compartments took up its two longer
sides. leaving in the middle an open space.
Each compartment was about five feet
square. elevated a little and inclosed upon
two sides with a light metal screen. The
animals looked very cool and comfortable.
They We're valuable fellows-here a Boston
bull. there a ST. Bernard, here a greyhound,
there a Pomeranian boarhound. They must
have been worth on the average $50 apiece,
and here and there among them were ami
mails worth $3.50 and s1.oO apiece.
ENTERTAINING THE DOGS.
How do you entertain your canine pa
irons and what is their bill OF fare?" the
visitor asked the host.
well. / entertain our dogs" the host an
swered. with healthy exercise, in the main.
In this big, open space I'm the middle of the
room they are allowed to romp, two or three
of them at a time. Every now and then, too,
a walk is given them. They are walked
about town or given a run in the country
by "A competent man. who sees to it that
their chains are fastened well. so that there
Is no danger of their escaping. Another
thing they like Is their bath. They are
bathed in a big tank twice a week, or often
ct. as the weather dictates. Altogether my
dog boarders have a pleasant time. They
zA-r a. At. &L4w~ 80 ~L~ wwA.AH - &A0f
50 a week. They are never dissatisfied"
Don't any of them ever run OFF,
ut is part of my business" said the hotel
keeper, ITO confine my dogs securely. If
one of them should escape from me il would
be a disgrace. For me to let a dog get the
better of me in that way would be a blot
on nv business reputation that / would new
81 be able To scrub off.
II feed my dogs he resumed, 1.-TWO meals
a day. breakfast. served at s O'Clock, con-
sists of biscuit and milk. Dinner, served in
the evenir &, consists of the same kind of ia
BILE food fss men and women eat-roaSt beef,
steak, chops. mashed potatoes. peas, toma-
toes. corn. Ii Is all very well to talk about
the hygienfc excellence of dog biscuit and
the various other health foods. but | find
that to keep a dog In good condition. TO
keep his appetite hearty. so that he enjoys
eating. there IL nothing like table food. the
varied diet of cooked meats and cooked
vegetables that mankind loves
An attendant in white overalls entered the
room at this moment. He had in his hand
a silver-plated contrivanee that resembled
a huge bicycle pump. He advanced TO a
greyhound and pressed the handle of his
machine. and instantly there shot forth a
delicious. silvery spray. like the spray of a
tonhsaln me dos 1 lpons1 p tbe coo,, ne Mist as,
everywhere. A sweet, pleasant, pungent
odor filled the air.
is disinfecting the place. the pro-
prietor explained. lit is disinfectant that
he sprays. Three times a day he goes over
the whole building. from cellar to garnet,
disinfecting everything. Hence, no illness,
No cp,al1S No nprIaapIiDoSQ
A bull terrier pushed his handsome muZ-
zle into the mans hand. You asked me"
the man said. 'if any of our dog boarders
ever ran away from us. Well, the case
sands so much to the contrary that / can
tell you this dog here. after having been
with. US n month. ran away from his owner
aid came back to US
IN THE CATS ROOM.
The cats room the dogs. only
II was not quite so large. Here. too. were
the same cleanliness. the same bright met
al compartments. the same weli-scrubbed
floors. the same abundance OF light and air.
feed our cats" the host said. ION
milk. raw fish and raw meat. We watch
$ them closely to discover the diet that best
suits each cat. We have very little sick
ness. and what sickness there is we man
age to cure in a few hours"
The host passed into another roonl-a room
whose walls We're lined with shelves, like
hookshelves. only on each shelf, instead of
books. were bird cages OF shining metal.
and in each cage a bird-a canary. a mock
Ing bird or a parrot n loud singing filled
the air. The manaser said.
Though we only charge . cents a week
TO board a bird IL gets u good deal OF atten-
s ton from Us each day. Each day. for in
stance. II f. fed. Each day Its drinking cup
and Its 5athtub are nlied. Each day its
cage IS cleaned"
What 90 your birds eaty'
"Canaries eat rape and canary seed. Par
rots eat sunnower seed. crackers bananas
and cora. Soft-biiied birds-robins. for in
stance. or hooking birds-eat dried flies.
ground beef hearts. ants eggs and meal
worms. This subject OF the food OF soft
billed birds is an interesting one in itself.
Our dried flies and our ants eggs come
all the way from Africa. There are native
villages that support themselves by the pre-
pairing OF bird foods. The women and chill
cren busy themselves from morning till
evening gathering the flies and the ants
Eggs ard at night they dry and grind these
Products. II seems odd that people I'm Africa
mould earn their living by preparing food
for birds. but doesn't ii seem odder still
that people IN Pennsylvania should SUBJ
s,st I'm the same way? There are a number
OF ~Pennsylvanians who live by raising meal
worms. These are small. brownish worms.
each an inch long and slender. that soft
billed birds like % eat alive. Here, I'm this
pale sand. DO you see the w~riggling. amber
colored worms Well. they are bred syste-
matically; families make their living breed
Ing them
AN OPERATING ROOM.