Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-05
if | live to be $50 shall keep on
working to my dying day.
A PLEA FOR The DOG

Philadelphia Inquirer. The dog
is having his day in the newspapers
Some animal snaps at child or man
Casually, no doubt, for cause) and i'm
mediately the cry of mad dog!" is
raised. BY the time the creature Is
| chased with cubs and stones under
! a blazing sun he is quite likely to be
mad or at least to give the appear
ance of rabies. OF course. there are
genuine instances where dog is an
actual sufferer from the disease, but
the chances are twenty to one that
e swapping dog has been leased or is
affected by the weather and rendered
irritable, just as the ordinary human
being is. and that his bite Is harm
| less.
There would be great many less
scares about mad dogs If more con.
slccration were given them. Without
intending to be so, many an owner is
cruel to his dog. He is merely
thoughtlcss. A dog loves water. He
wants plenty of it, yet while water is
the cheapest and easiest thing in the
world to get, it is the hardest thing
for the dog to find. The dog has to
beS for it and is not always under
stood. If man cannot have a sup
Ply Of cold water at his elbow during
the heated term. if he is denied even
temporarily a cooling drink. he quick
ly makes his irritation apparent to ev-
eryone. But the dog is expected by
| a thoughtless owner to find water for
himself, and if he does not get it to
be just as cheerful as ever and to
maintain an even temper even If
hauled and pulled about. A dog may
be thrown a bone for morning meal
and with it given dish of water. but
unless he is the property of master
who understands his needs. he is apt
to go thirsty most of the day. Yet
when he snaps in his irritation he is
promptly placarded as vicious
This article is intended as plea
for the dog-for better treatment Of
him. There are differences of opinion
whether it is just to any dog to keep
him tied up in back yard of a city
house; whether city Is any place to
attempt the training Of any but the be.
ribboned dollhouse pets, who are ex.
pected to feed on dainties, to be tuck
ed under the arms of their mistresses,
to be put on exhibition for the bene.
fit Of calling friends, and at last to
lie down and die because too much of
burden to drag around the accumu-
lated fat that comes from stufring
ana sleeping. Men will continue to
keep dogs in their city homes and
therefore must assume certain obli-
cations toward them The dog must
have exercise. consequently must go
upon the streets. Let us say right
here that the very first obligation Is
to see to 1t that the dog has d con-
slant supply of fresh water.
Whether the animal Is better un.
derstood or Is given more thought on
the other side of the Atlantic we do
not know, but the dog that trots
through the streets Of London is very
much better off than is his American
cousin. The water bowl for the dog
is one of the street sights over there.
At very frequent intervals where the
crowds are not too dense, bowl that
is kept filled with water stands at
the entrance to a shop door or be-
meath window. The dogs learn who
their friends are. They know all Of
these drinking places, just horse
knows the location Of drinking
trOughS