The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-16
THE TALE OF ADOG WITHOUT A TAG
ONE OF SADDEST OF TONGUE OR PEN

stance the complainant alleged that the
dog was an unlicensed dog and conse-
quently the burden of proof is upon the
dog.
Now, there is system whereby every
self-respecting dog and the self-respect-
ing owner of every self-respecting Dog
can secure full and complete protection
under the law. Ii is by the investment
of the necessary sum i'm dog license
No dog can afford to be without Ii
cense. but every dog must understand
that even a license does not permit him
to go about biting people in the legs,
frightening children and making loud,
unusual and hideOus noises in the night
time.
The law says that every dog shall
wear a brass tag i'm token of the fact
that his master thinks enough of him
to treat him white. Be he male dog
he costs only s. year. but for lady
dogs the rate is SO. Last year there
were dog owners enough in town to en-
rich the city treasury by 1882. This in
itself means no inconsiderable number
of legitimate dogs in Salt Lake.
An Unrelenting Pursuer.
But it is the dog that cannot show
the insignia of office that has the ter
ror of a time of it. THERE'S a deter
mined force always on his trail and no
matter where he goes, he is likely to be
shared. The merciless authority that is
always on the trail of the unlicensed
dog is constituted as follows: one dog
tax collector, one dog catcher, one horse,
one wagon, one pound. The dog tax col
lector at this time is A. G. Riser, who
has been in office since the first of the
year. He is an appointee of the city
treasurer. His emOluments are a fee of
fifty cents for each dog impounded,
whether redeemed or destroyed. Last
year the expense of the department was
$2.01O50. leaving the city a thousand
dollars to the good on its dog popula-
ton.
The average number of dogs caught
without the necessary evidence of own
ership is 100 a month. The average
number of fights the dog catcher has
each day in rounding up the strays is
three. Every body's hand is against the
dog catcher and his moose. especially the
great American small boy, who would
not be half as much of a great Ameri-
can small boy if it weren't for Shep or
Tige. and any entertainment on the
rights, vested or otherwise, of the dog
is met with prompt and bitter resent
ment on the part of the boy, who
swears eternal vengeance against the
dog catcher and lays plots deep and
dark for his undOing.
The life of the dog catcher is not a
happy one.
The End of ii All.
When the luckless dog without the tag
is hailed into the pound he is kept there
in more or less close confinement and
great discomfort for a period of five
days. Then, if no one comes to the
rescue he is put to death by shooting.
The dog pound is at the city crematory,
northwest of the city. and few dogs
who enter there come forth 10 the full
freshness and bloom of their doghood.
The people who complain to The Her
aid say that there is entirely too much
dog at large and declare that a good
deal Of him ought to be gathered ina
good deal more than there has been.
Maybe, now that the warm weather
has taken the kinks out of the dogs
legs and put mischief into his head. it
will also have Similar effect on the
dog catcher, eliminating the mischief.