The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-08-01
PROTEST WILL NOT
HALT DOG KILLING
One Hundred a Day Are Being
Killed and the Slaughter
Will Continue Until
November /.
S. P. c. A. PLEA FAILS
New York Society Declares Summary
Shooting OF Unlicensed AMI.
mails lnhuman and
Illegal
S. P. c. A. PLEA FAIL!

NEW ioTh, July ol,---lL IL NOT likely
that the health board will soon forget
the order issued for the destruction
Of stray dogs. No sooner did the
police begin the work than both men
and women owners Of pets so unfor-
tunate as to have crossed the hunters
trail began vigorous protest. Presi-
dent Alfred Wagstaff OF the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to AMI
mails has also appealed to the board
to call halt upon the summary meth
DDS of slaughter. one hundred day
are being killed.
The protest will probably be con.
tinuous from now on to October 81
but the authorities decline positively
| to hear any complaints. They are
assured of the seriousness of the sit
uation, and have an opinion from the
corporation counsel's office as to their
! rights, and the work OF determination
Is going to be pushed vigorously. Az
DR.. Walter Bensel, the sanitary super.
intendent, put II, 1T is thumbs down
! for the dogs.
The work has got TO be done" he
added, and the sooner these stray
animals are out of the way the more
secure the lives OF the children in the
streets will be. Persons who care for
their pets will muszle them or put
them on leash. The warning to dc
this was properly issued. and plenty
of time has been given to have II take
effect. Now we must 20 ahead and
perform q disagreeable duty The
destruction of these dogs is necessary
just as the establishment of quaren-
tine laws Is necessary to protect the
public from contaglon."
The great increase In the numbe
Of dogs In New York suburbs Is ex-
palined by dwellers in those communi.
ties as result of persistent epidemic.
} of burglary First one section ant
! then another would be robbed, unit
every householder hustled to get dog
4 any kind Of a dog that could anc
would make noise. Nor have house
holders been particular In the case o
these watchers, and the consequence,
has been the gradual arrival of large
number of undesirable mongrels.
In the course of his letter to Dr
! Thomas Darlington, commissioner o
department OF health, President Wag
staff Of the American Society for tn
Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals
wrote
While this society believes that tn,
muzzllng of dogs must of necessit
cause discomfort and even distress (,
the muzzled animals, In view OF thu
present agitation Of the subject o
rabies, and the death of several per
sons In consequence, II Is alleged, q
the bite of that diseased animal,
gems eminently desirable that ever.
reasonable measure be taken for tn
prevention of other similar cases. an
also for the quietlng of public alarm
Therefore. II such extreme necessity o
the danger thereof, Is believed by tn
bonrd Of health TO exist at this time
this society will be far from takin
the responsibility Of opposing tn
} enactment of muzzling ordinance
greatly though we should deprecate
under the other circumstances.
We do, however, most emphaticall
object TO the method which Ia ten
followed In enforcing the act We h
lieve that the summary shooting OF IN
licensed dogs Is lnhuman, unnecessar!
In violation Of the rights Of owners, an
menace to public safety. We ais
) question It's legality. We believe ther
, Is no warrant In law for the ndis
crlmlnate destruction of dogs.
The proper method would be to SELF
. the unmuzzled animals In the sam
) manner the soclety's agents captur
homeless and unlicensed dogs, and
. take them to a receiving station an
! hold them for period which woul
, permit the owners to reclaim then
! Dogs not redeemed could then be dc
stroyed In painless manner, And "
. Is believed by the health authorize
that some preventive measure shoul
be adopted this society stands read
to cooperate in the enforcement {
any reasonable measures that may /
enacted
On behalf Of the dog owners Of II
city of New York, and all human
persons who have the interest Of ar
imals at heart, we earnestly protei
against the drastic measures being 70
lowed in enforcing the muzzling &C
and we appeal to you to so modify II
order that It's provisions will confor,
/ to the sentiments above expressed. TT
4 effectiveness Of the act will lose notl
ing by such a humane regulation Il
the carrying out of the order as v
have alppested