Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-05
At THE C|TYOOG POUND
Few Valuable CANNES Now
Gathered In.
ARMY OF UNTAGGED
PoUNDMAsTER EINSTEIN MAKES
SOME SUGGESTIONS.
Feline Waits and Strays Are. Also
Gathered In--Rules of the
Pound.


to leave comfortable home for the uncer-
tainties of life on the streets, Star re-
porter looked into Poundmaster Einstein's
well-kept shelter for abandoned and unli-
censed canine strays yesterday.
Speaking about dogs and cats said
Mr.. Einsten, Il will offer a few sugges-
tions to the readers of The Star and pet
owners in general, which may be of ad-
vantage for them to know.
I'VE always respond as speedily as pos
sble to citizens calls upon us by tele-
phone, mail messenger, on week Gays.
My men with the wagon are required 10
call me up at the pound during the gay
while on their travels about the city, ana
can communicate with them to respond TO
any request of our citizens within short
time after the receipt of call. On sun
days we feel that both the men and the
horses are entitled to a rest, but even on
Sundays an urgency call would be respond
ed to without delay.
with the administration Of our wo!K in
keeping the streets of the capital free OF
stray animals we do not permit aIny CT delty
There is tearing of untaggad dogs from
the arms of ladies and children on the
streets, as has been recorded In some COM
munities. In fact, our men Will not take
up an untagged dog If the animal is lol-
lowing closely at the heels o. an individual
We do, however warn the party TO FRO
cure a tag. But If the dog Is running at
large, ever. though the owner may have
tag in the house, it is our duty to take up
the animal.
Change of Sentiment.
"Within the past few years there has
been a great change of sentiment toward
the degcatchers, whose duty 1t is to enforce
the law. We take up about 5000 dogs an
nually, of which about 500 are redeemed.
We do not get as many valuable dogs as is
supposed, as their owners keep them tagged
and carefully watched We get few hunt
ing dogs. l don't know what has become
of the settlers as but few are seen upon
the streets now as compared with former
years. The fox terrier predominates now,
and some days we pick up as high as ten
of this breed. The fox terrier is Tightly
animal, with a propensity to stray from
home The idea that you can go down to
the pound and pick out valuable dogs any
day is myth When the owner of val
liable dog misses him he at once communl-
Gates with US; If we have the animal the
owner is notified; If not, we look out for
the dog.
Hundreds of tags are stolen yearly from
the necks of dogs by men and boys VINO
make a practice of reselling them to per
sons who have no conscientious scruples
against their purchase. More licenses have
been taken out this year than ever before:
Here is an instance of the work we 90, ana
1t shows that the dog problem is being
Many Of our stray ours find their way to
the citys streets from the rural portion
of the District.
Roundup at Benning.
1.-The authorities in the vicinity of Ben
ming recently rounded up all owners of dogs
and notified them to procure tags or re-
move their dogs from their premises, as
the law was to be enforced strictly. A few
bought tags, but when I say that we took
forty acknowledgements dogs from
that vicinity in a single wagon load you
will understand why it is that ours are be-
coming scarcer in the District
'In fact there IRE few cities in the coun-
try where the pound laws are so well and
smoothly enforced in Washington, and L
believe this is apparent even to strangers.
We proceed upon broad and liberal planes
of equal rights and of humanity we give
the owners a chance, are polte ABOUT 1t
and endeavor to eliminate all brutality
from our business. The dogs are handled
humanely from the moment they are netted
until they are asphyxiated forty-elght
hours later in forty-five seconds by the
fumes of charcoal, a method Of execution
now declared by all humane experts to be
the best for the purpose"
The Cat Nuisance.
"Can YOU offer a solution to the cat
nuisance problem?" asked the reporter.
Eyes" responded Mr.. Einstein, Il think
can, but the program, by reason of the
difference IN the natures of the two animals,
will have to be changed
1T has been urged that the stray cat be
treated just the same as the stray dog.
Theoretically and upon superficial eXamlna-
ton the plan works as well with cats as
with dogs, but in practice 1t is quite ol1-
ferent Before we aSphyXlate our
stray kitties we have to catch them, a mat
ter easier said than done when it is remem-
bered that cat will climb up a perpendicu-
lar board fence twenty feet high without
difficulty. The fence stops the uog ana we
catch him.
.If any citizen who advocates the catch
ing of stray cats in net by hand mas nao
no practical experience at the work l beg
that he try 1t just once. Stray cats are
usually bagged with shotgun, method
impracticable in cities, put out of
neighborhood by poisoned meat, also a
method not approved Of Again man Will
face and catch savage dog, even II ne De
cornered and fighting mad, but it takes the
bravest to face and capture cornered cat,
fighting mad. A cat can spring into man
face and chew and claw IT beyond recogni-
ton in few seconds and tear the man
hands and fingers into ribbons at the same
time and then get away. You can't hoid
cat as you can dog.
I'VE are doing a good business in the cat
determination line now, as We have legally
disposed of over 500 cats within the past
three months. Sometimes we pick up
dozen in a day. Householders who wish
felines former pets or unwelcome intruders,
removed are requested to catch and conhne
the cats in boxes, baskets or bags and
notify u.s. We will call as soon after noti-
fcaton as possible
A Cat Ordinance.
IAN ordinance would, of course. in sub
stance, direct the poundmaster to take up
all cats found running at large upon the
streets untagged. This we would do, but 1t
should provide that the cats be disposed OF
upon receipt at the pound and not held for
two days, as in the case of dogs. Cats. when
terrified and Gagged seem to revent to their
wild state, and If a dozen strange cats were
confined in one of the wire netting incloS-
ures we have for the confinement of dogs
pending their possible redemption there
would be dozen balls Of fur and blood In
the morning.
These are, however, matters of detail
which would adjust themselves were an or
dinance passed and in force, as the proper
means and In humane manner would be
found for carrying out its provisions. We
would catch and dispose OF as many stray
cats as we could. but our citizens can sim
plify the cat problem by bearing my sug-
gestions in mind.
"Boss" Of the Pound.
.'There is one cat in Washington" said
Mr.. Einstein. pointing to a large gray-and-