Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
Aunt Dorothy's Letter

Dear Children:
Do you know that nearly all of the letters
and stories sent to the children's page of
The Star recently have had something to
say about your pets? When l come to
consider that nearly all children own pets
it seems natural that 1t should be so. TO
one not acquainted with the subject the
many different kinds of pets that children
have is surprising Some of you have pet
crows some have pet pigs while we hear
of almost numberless kinds of pet dogs and
cats Then. there are those who write Of
pet chickens. hawks. lambs, rabbits, gum
eapigs and even lizards. Dogs, cats and
birds are, of course, the most common.
l knew man once who had a lot of
snakes that he petted and trained so that
when he would put a stick in the wire
cage where he kept them they would Irvine
the ends of their tails about 1t and he could
lift them all up together. This man also
had a pet toad that he could call out from
it's place among the currant bushes in the
yard and make it hop about and do many
singular tricks.
l met a little girl on the train once who
was Just returning to her home in New
York from the far northwest where she
had evidently played a good deal with
kindly treated pet bear Bears won't
bite you" said the little curly head.
STORIES like that are just told to brighten
children Why, this old bear would let me
climb on his back and pull his long, shaggy
hair without thinking OF snarling or biting.
He was kinder than any dog. l loved him,
and tell you that the miners and everybody
else loved him. too She thought all bears
were kind ir dispositions because this par
ticuldr one was. Bears. OF all things she
was least afraid of them.
II is a good thing, l think for a boy or
girl to own and have the care of a pet.
The responsibility of looking out for Its
wants and needs teaches you to love and
sympathize with all animals and promotes
in you that same feeling that has caused
the establishment of so many societies for
the prevention of cruelty to animals, as
well as hospitals and other places for their
cure and care while they live and burial
places for them when they are dead. The
number of institutions for the care and
treatment of animals seems to be fncreas-
ing rapidly. 1t was only few days ago
thai we read of two such places. One was
in New Jersey, that the proprietor said
might in truth be called a dogs insane
asylum He lad discovered that dogs were
subject 10 mental ailments, many of which
were very much like those that affect men.
HIS asylum was devoted principally to the
treatment of rabies The dogs were con-
fined to separate cells and carefully
watched for four weeks or thereabous,
and If in this time they appeared to be
mad they We're shot; if not they were dis
charged as cured. The other institution
was in New York and was devoted to the
surgical treatment of birds.
At Hawarden Castle. the stately home of
the late William +, Gladstone, in England,
there is beautiful little dog cemetery,
where loved pet dogs of some distinction
are buried. 1t is understood that no pet
dog that ever did a vicious thing during
his life is allowed to be buried there. The
graves are marked with pretty tombstones,
and beautiful roses and flowers are planted
everywhere throughout the inclosure. 1t is
kept with the most scrupulous care.
The Baroness Burdette-Coutts erected Il
monument Ito the affectionate fidelity of
Greyfriars Bobby Tearing that the
dog followed his masters body to the
grave. lingering about it constantly there
after finally dying upon it.
If ! had the time and space l would like
to say good deal to you about selecting
an animal bird for pet. This should
never be done hastily, but always with the
greatest care and consideration Never
allow yourself to become the possessor of
a pet that is annoyance to substantially
everybody else. Select and train one that
everybody will love well yourself
Yours sincerely, DOROTHY DAY.