Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-10-15
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

paono arc not necessarily kind to
animals when they refrain from KILL
int any that are useless. Stray cats
and dogs should be disposed OF IN
humane manner; but should not be per-
mittcd to exc out lives of misery cats
that are nightly tortured by stronger
ones Of their own species and finally
killed by them are not humanely treated
by being permitted to live.
a horrible story comes from Constah-
tinople. The Turks. barred by their
religion from killing the outcast or par
ish dogs, have now sent 100000 of them
to tho deserted Island Of Okla, where
they are slowly starving to death. dy-
ing at the rate Of 200 per day.
Every traveller in Turkey knows the
Turkish dog with its pointed nose,
busly tail. gray red fur and his gem
er7Il wolf-like appearance. He IS the
descendant, tits said. Of the half-w1ld
dogs which followed the invading
Turkish hosts from Asia Minor. Half
wolves they were called by the his
toriuns of the time
For four hundred years the dogs, pro-
tected by the sentiment of charity to-
ward animals imposed by the Koran.
have increased and multiplied. and by
tho general consent of the inhabitants
of the towns and villages become IL
censcd scavengersad isposing of the Of
fsl and refuse of the streets.
In this way. writes a recent visitor to
Turkey, the Turkish dog found Il living
everywhere, ranging far and wide for.
food by night like u jackal Being I'M
prosecuted and. on the whole, treated
| kindly. no lost long ago the ferocity of
| his lupine ancestors. For centuries
| the dogs have lived in separate COM
stantinople and Stamford were par
celled OFF by them in as orderly fash
lon as any cncampment Each dog had
his place his peculiar rights and each
group had a Betchi, or Waterman, who
sounded tho alarm whenever any In
vader from another guild oyerstepped
his boundaries. When that happened
the invader was promptly SGT upon by
| tho outraged clan and torn to pieces
Moreover tho people of Constantinople
are deeply attached to tho dogs. and
they resent their removal. 30 their cap-
turo Is being effected at night by men
who selzo them with great iron tonss.
cage them in wagons, and ship them
to their islnnd.
An eyewitness writes as follows
"The consequence Is that the dogs
are eating ench other up, and an ORGY
of cruel canine cannibalism is going
on upon the island.
WHEN sailed over could hear
for miles out to sea-. the bowling OF
these poor creatures. When our boat
drew near thousands came running
down to meet US, thinking that we were
i bringing them food. or were about to
take them away. Dozens swan out to
us. and had to be beaten off by oars
before VIC could make our way closer
I didn't dare to go on shore. feared
and my guide feared, that the dogs
| would tear us to pieces. But they fol"
lowed us, racing along the beach, and
could see thousands lying dead and
y diving along the hillside and the sand
There were lots of them fighting over
n grucsome feast, and astench of polu-
ton came cut from the island"
When animals unduly multiply, 1t
is human duty to remove them by
prompt and humane methods. The
z Turkish example is only n larger picture
OF what goes on to some extent lr
y many other places. Only wcll-bred and
useful dogs should BIO kept. Cats
should be few Indeed. for, as n rule
these are worthless and even danger
GUS animals. People should do their
duty in this respect and prevent need
less suffering among animals,