The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-29
SAYS IT ISN'T FAIR
Mrs. Foster, President OF
Humane Society, Talks.
Blames Mayor Green for Failure
of Dog Tests.
WAS NOT ENOUGH GAS.
Supply Tube Too Small, Asserts
Mrs. Foster.
Offer to Pay the ImpOunding
Fee Was Refused.
WAS NOT ENOUGH GAS.

The Foster Humane society Is very
much displeased over the dog situation.
Mayor Green has not acted in good
faith with us in the matter of killing
the dogs in the city pound said Mrs.
c. G. Foster president of the society.
He has made up his mind to have the
dogs shot and he does not want to see
the society make a success of the gas
and 1 do not think that the test made
the latter part of last week was fair or
intended to be.
I'm the first place the connection with
the gas main was made with a small
piece of rubber tubing 40 feet In length
in the place of a pipe of the same size
as the connection in the box and we
have no way of determining how long
the gas was turned on or whether it
was on full force or just part way. 1t
is true that We do not want dogs killed
with gas if it is not more of a success
than the demonstration indicated Sat
urday for that is almost as inhumane as
shooting.
The society is not opposed to the
shooting method If a marksman is en-
ployed who knows his business and can
end the dogs life with one shot through
the brain or in some other equally vital
point. But we DO object to the way the
killing has been done in the past, as
we know that dogs have been shot and
permitted to live half day afterwards
and it is possible that we do not know
of other cases more revolving.
I'VE feel that if Mayor Green cared
to aid US in this matter that the test
made Saturday would have proved a
success and that the dogs could have
been disposed of in a humane manner
The box which the society had made
at its own expense is smaller than boxes
used for a similar purpose in Chicago
and New York and they have used this
method in these cities for years with
the sanction of societies similar to ours
1T was a 8 ne and disgrace to
community TO do as they did Saturday
when they crowded 20 dogs into this
box over the protest Of our officer, Mr..
King, and then turned on an insufficient
supply of gas to cause death without
the dogs suffering for almost half an
hour Mayor Green was a witness and
viewed the failure of the experiment
with apparent satisfaction.
Il would willingly have paid the taxes
on the dogs myself if had known what
they were doing rather than to have
had them suffer as they did while the
mayor. of the city looked on We re-
alize that there are many worthless
dogs which must be disposed of in some
way. but we feel that the method should
be the most humane known for 1t is bad
enough at that
.sMany of the dogs which fal, into the
hands of the dog catcher are family
pets am playmates of the children OF
the household Where ID6y are OW0eU
and it is a shame that they must suffer
and die under the direction of the mayor
of the city We feel that Mayor Green
is backed in his attempt to make the
gas test a failure by the gas company.
This company is not anxious to adver-
tise the fact that their product is dead
w though the fact IS well known and
there has been at least one death liz
the city this winter by asphyxiation-
1.-The instance referred to is that in
which a stabIeman employed by MI
q II. Merriam was found dead in the
living apartments over the barn at Mr..
Merriam's residence The space filled
nv gas in this instance was perhaps
hundred times larger than the space
in the box in which the attempt was
made to asphyxiate the dogs and proved
n failure There were three medium
sized living rooms besides the loft in
which a supply of hay was usually
kept :. .
sDeath resulted in this instance in
few hours even under the most unfa-
yorable conditions as the gas could es-
cane in large quantities through open
ines and crevices in the barn. The gas
escaped through a partially opened
burner on a stove and the pipe when
fed the burner was less than one-tenth
the size of the pipe which fed the
hox in which the dogs were killed Sat
urday, after suffering for half an hour