Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-11
MUZzLE YOUR DOG.
Much Danger in Letting Animals
 Run Loose Just Now.

AN0u AVVOS Osos ASVWs
 These are dark days for dogs and
 if the authorities do not wake up to
 the seriousness of the situation things
 may become serious. for the malady
 may reach the Auman family. For some time past several dogs have
 been stricken with dumb rabies and
 were put out of business by the veter-
 mary surgeons and others but no steps
 were taken by the authorities to look
 into the matter until this morning
 when word was sent to Superintendent
 Beach of the police department that a
 mad dog was terrorizing people in the
 northern end of the city.
 Supernumerary Officer Lynch was | sent out oil the case and when he
 reached the territory where the ani-
 nal was said to be at large he found that Officer Kiersted was on it's tracks
 and together the two policemen start
 ed to run it down. They caught up
 with the dog on North Willow street
 and instead of putting dose of lead
 into it as they should have done.
 Officer Kiersted tied a string to it's
 collar and escorted it to the station. | where it was examined by Dr Bland, |
 yirulent type of rabies. This set ev-
 erybody thinking and when Officer l Kiersted said that the dog had nip
 ped his hand he was told to take off 1 his mitten and see if it drew blood.
 Fortunately the animals teeth didn't penetrate clear through the thick | glove and the officer went on his way rejoicing.
 l Dr Bland shot the dog after which the doctor, who by the way is con- missioner of the department of public health. had long conference with Superintendent Beach, in the course of which the veterinary surgeon stated that in his opinion public safety de- handed the muzzling of dogs for at I least five or six weeks and that some | investigation be made with view to determining how far the disease may have spread among dogs about town. ] The issuing of an order to that effect has to be ordered by the mayor, as provided for in an ordinance covering ! such matters, passed by the board of aldermen. April ,, 1897, and which may be seen in Section } of the Charter and Ordinances of the I City of Waterbury. It reads as fol- | lows:
 "The mayor may at any time make | such order in regard to the muzzlng of dogs, forbidding them to be it i large upon the public squares or oth- | CT restraint as in his judgment public safety shall require notice of such or | der to be given by the city sheriff by publishing twice in two or more daily newspapers published in the city. an attested copy of such order. Every person who shall violate such order shall forfeit and pay penalty of not more than S2O"
 Superintendent Beach considered immediate action necessary, but later he learned that Mayor Thoms had left town early and will not be home un- til tomorrow night, so that under the circumstances the most he could do was to request the papers to give the matter as much publicity possible and say that the superintendent of police had suggested that every dog be kept confined or muzzled until such time as the mayor returns and a proper order covering the matter is issued and published.
 It is quite likely that this will lead to house to house hunt for unlicen- sed dogs. too, which it is thought would result in bringing about 5000 people into court for neglect to com ply with the law which requires own- CTS of dogs to register them every year. There is large number of dogs in Waterbury that have no regular homes. These. of course, will be shot, but the harboriag of an unlicensed .I liable under the law. Dogs won't take kindly to muzzIes and nobody likes to see such an order issued, but if we are face to face with the most dread. ed malady known to medical science, then there should be no delay in apply ing the remedy. And when the order is issued it should be enforced rigor. ously.
 The dog killed this morning belong ed to Thomas Coyle of Cassidy aven- lie. It was of medium size, mixture of the collie and shepherd. and made things lively while it was at liberty. On the way to the station this morn- ing Reserve Officer Michael Sullivan noticed the dog on the street but took no notice of 1t until it made a snap at him and sunk its teeth through the sleeve of his coat and just took the skin off his arm but didn't go. deep enough to enter the flesh.
 Early this morning Superintendent Beach notified the mayor that he was beginning to be somewhat alarmed over the mad dog business and want. ed to know what he thought he had , better do in the premises. The latter advised the holding of conference with Dr Bland. Later in the forenoon his honor informed Democrat report. CT he had consulted Chairman Freney of the board of health, about the mat. ter. and that he understood that Dr Freney. Dr Bland. and the other physicians connected with the board, would report to him what in their judgment was necessary to do and that he should be governed by their decision in the premises.
 It is a good many years ago since Waterbury dogs wore muzzles, so long that few of tbe present army of ca. mines remember it. but they had them on just the same and It is quite likely that inside of week a dog that walks the public ways of Waterbury without a muzzle will do so at great risk tc its own life and its masters pocket book.