The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-25
A PLEA FOR THE DOG.
Lack of Consideration Is at the Bottom
 of Most Mad Dog Scares.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
 The dog is having his day in the news papers. Some animal snaps at q child or man Casually no doubt, for eauseD and immediately the cry of mad dogI' is raised By the tune the creature Is chas- ed with clubs and stones under blazinng sun he is quite likely to he mad or at least to give the appearance of rabies. or course. there are genuine instances where a dog Is an actual sufferer from the disease but the chances are twenty to one that a snappng dog has been leased or Is affected by the weather and rendered irritable, just ar any ordi-
 nary human being is and that his bite Is harmless.
 There would be great many less scares about mad dogs if more consideration
 were given them. Without intending to
 be so. many an owner Is cruel to his dog. He is merely thoughtless. dog loves
 water He wants plenty of it, yet while water is the cheapest and easiest thing in the world to get, 1t is the hardest thing
 for the dog to find. The dog has to beg for it, and is not always understood If man cannot have supply of cold
 water at his elbow during the heated term, if he is denied even temporarily cooling drink. he quickly makes his ifrita- ton apparent to everyone. But the dog 1 Is expected by a thoughtess owner to find water for himself. and If he does not get 1t to be just cheerful as ever and to maintain an even temper even if hauled mad pulled about. A dog may be thrown a bone for q morning meal and with it i given dish of water but unless he Is the property of q master who understands his needs, he is apt to go thirsty most of
 the day, Yet when he snaps in his rrita- ton he is promptly placarded as vicious. This article Is intended as a 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 A back yard of a city house:
 whether a city Is any place to attempt the training of any but the beribboned hothouse pets, who are expected to feed on dainties to be tucked under the arms of their mistress to be put on exhibition for the benefit of calling friends, and at last to die down ana die because life be- comes too much of q burden to attempt to drag around the accumulated fat that comes from stuning and sleeping. Men will continue to keep dogs in their city homes and therefore must assume cer- tain obligations toward them. The dogs 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 a constant supply of fresh water.
 Whether the dog Is better understood 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 Ius 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 a bowl tlat Is kept filled with water stands at the entrance to a shop door or be- heath window. The dogs learn who their friends are. They know all of these
 drinking places just as a horse knows the location of water troughs.