Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-16
A PoLICEMAN's DIGNITY.
Is Lost Sight of When He is Arresting
 Stray Dogs

Stray Dogs.
 Look out for your bow wow, for though the police hate to have to kill it if they find it wandering around collarIess in the streets, they are bound to do so. At the meeting of the board or safety last evening Chief Egan made stirring plea for the life of the collarless canine. He said he would have to ask the board for relief Fly cry dog is taken to the police station at present and he did not think that this should be so for there is 10 place to keep them there only in the tramrs' department and lookup. Furthermore, ,he though it advisable to keep the dogs at least 24 hours, for no doubt mean and colorless as some dogs are, they are somebody's pets, and he thought that by keeping the dogs A hours be- fore execution, it would give the own CTS time to get back their pets.
 Only yesterday morning big mangy old dog that was hardly worth two cents from it's appearance had scarcely been disposed of when a man called at the police station and inquired for his dog. The description he gave tallied with that of the one mentioned and he was greatly affected when told he was too late. A few minutes later a wo- man called for her dog and she also described the big old mangy felloN that had just been taken away by Ae garbage collector to the Gema A5ry. and when she was told the fate .R the dog she actually burst into tearx It is surprising the affection some people have for apparently worthless and sometimes even dangerous dogs.
 So 1t was apparent that some place ought to be provided where dogs ca,, be kept for time and given achance for their lives. The owners could he , prosecuted and such a course would be profitable and in the end would be the best after all. And again. it is hardly fair to the prisoner to have to submit to such an uproar as the dogs in detention make
 The chief reminded the board that the dog tax goes to the first taxation district while the expense of tafing care of the dogs is mainly borne by the city, the second taxation distrct. All the work falls upon the policeman. The chief advised skirmish in the first district in order to make it pay for the trouble the collarless canine H making. It is scarcely the policemant duty, after all. to do what he is doing It is not dignified or uplifting and the work could be done better by someone else, and at the expense of the first district
 The most worthless cur may be somebody's pet, and policemen lose not only their own self respect but the re spect of the community when seen dragging a dog through the streets, and soon after dragging man. This is hardly fair to the policeman. Itis impossible to find the owners of the dogs, and the chief told of case where two policemen for a week tried to find the owner of a fine dog, but failed. Such was the plea of the chief of police for the dog and the matter was taken under consideration About half dozen more dogs wera l captured by the police officers last night and were killed this morning. I One dog, however, escaped. Officer Keegan brought him to the police sta ton, took him down stairs 10 put him in the tramps' room, where the dogs are kept over night The officer open ed the door and stepped inside to turn oi, light and as he did so he pulled the door after him. The door has a catch lock and the officer was locked 1 in and couldn't get out He rapped vigorously on tine door to attract fhe I attention of Captain Bannon upstairs The latter opened the door at the head of the stairs on his way to free the policeman locked in. As he did so the dog ran out and escaped.