The Washington times., 1908-05-31
MUZZLE ALL DOGS.
CITIZENS DEMAND
Commissioners Desire to Do
All They Can to Minimize
Rabies Danger.

An effort 10 get the District ComIlis-
sioners TO order the muzzling OF all dogs
allowed BY their owners TO run At lsFge
is 20 be made in the near fur uTe. ac-
cording 10 the statements Of a mum Der
OF prominent physicians and yete p.
naries, who have been carefully noting
the increase in the number OF cases or
rabies In dogs.
The suggestion Of DR.. A. d. Melvin.
chief Of the Bureau Of Animal Industry,
of the Department of Agriculture, that
the disease could be effectively stamped
out in the country If all dogs were muz-
zled for a given time, has caused wide
spread discussion. The number OF IN
stances during the lest month where
residents OF the District have been Bit
ten by stray dogs is another starting
fact that has caused the phys clans 10
fear that unless some radical measures
are taken now it may be a Sc lfce o.
regret later in the season.
Not All HydTOPhobi&.
These cases of dog bites in the city
of washington have not necessarily de-
welcomed into cases Of hydrophobia' Tor
those that came 10 the attention OF the
police were cases that were promptly
treated either al the hospitals or by
private practitioners. II is as a pre-
cautionary measure that the physicians
and ,-e+erfnaries are insisting that
something be done They declare that
the fact that there have been no great
number OF fully developed cases OF
rabies should not be put forward as~an
argument against the muzzling OF the
CANNES, and they point TO the report
of DR.. Melvin showing the discovery OF
fourteen cases Of fully developed rabies
as the strongest sort Of an argument
in favor of the muzzling.
THE time to take these precautions
is before the harm is done, said
prominent veterinary yesterday, dis
cussing the subject Of rabies. "Of
course. there are many cases where
dogs merely suffering from the heat
are accused Of having rabies, and some
times a scare is started over nothing at
all; but rabies is not a myth. II is
too terrible a reality and too deadly in
it's effects to take chances with. 1 do
not believe all the dogs in Washington
are infected with It, but there are some
dogs suffering from 1t. and no chances
should be taken. I believe 1t is better
to muzzle all the dogs in Washington
than TO have one single human being
die Of hydrOphobia. / saw one man
dying with il. ] witnessed the awful
agony and torture of his death throes,
and / do not care to see another"
Precautionary Measures.
Commissioner mcfarland has already
taken cOgnizance of the danger, and
has ordered the poundkeepers to exer-
else the strictest vigilance in rounding
up stray dogs. These animals are put
10 death in the most painless manner
known to science, and It is admitted
that this is the most expeditions way
of disposing of that class of dogs. AS
TO the muzzling of all dogs. he does
not believe It would reach the root Of
the trouble
The only dogs who would be muzzled,
he says, are those whose owners take
care Of them. Such dogs, he thinks,
are not the ones that run loose about
town and occasionally snap at children
and even adults. It is the monguel dogs
the homeless tramps that wander aim
lessiy about town, that are especially
DANGEROUS and Mr.. Mcfarland IS Of
class that the danger Of rabies IS so
minimized as TO make the muzzling of
all dogs almost cruelty.
The action of the Veterinary Associa-
ton OF the District Of Columbia a
few days ago, in adopting resolutions
on this subject. in which they strongly
recommend to the Commissioners that
they order the muzzllng Of all dogs, Is
receiving the serious consideration of
the Commissioners, but their final de-
cisiOn on the matter has not vet been
announced. IN the meantime they are
receiving daily many letters urging
them to take all precautions possible
70 prevent dogs from running at FARCE
through the streets OF ths ciLx.