Middletown transcript., 1911-08-05
Communicated
THE MAD DOG SCARE
Dangerous Dog Killed"
"Mad Dogs in Warwick"

above captions you gave us two very inter
esting articles in your last issue, whicl
occupied colum and quarter OF you
valuable space, each of which carries
''sting to its taiP' (the closing paragraph
for the man who is fond OF his dog.
The first article, with all of which th'
writer most heartily agrees except thu
last paragraph, closes as follows;-1ndeet
some few sentimentalists are kicking OF
the order muzzling the dogs-it is cruel
ty to animals don't you know-nothinG
said about cruelty to human beings tori
with these pet dog fangs or sent by rabieI
into hell tortured death! The same silly
sentimentalists think it cruel shame.
At lisk of being called ''silly senti
mentalist'' by your able scribe I am fully
willing to stand and be counted as one
who is opposed to muzzling dogs when
there is no reason to muzzle. On the
other hand have never known a man
fond of dogs who objected to having all
dogs mnzzled when there was the least
danger of the dogs of given community
having been bitten by suspicious dog.
The whole story, which requires a
whole column for even your deft and able
scribe to fully cover, is an illustration OF
the case in point. The dog that bit our
genial and valiant Chief of Police was not
an unmuzzled town dog, but a strange
dog, over which the town has no jurisdic-
tion. And it is always so. It is ever an
unknown dog from distance that comes
into town and does the mischief. And
usually all the dogs of town are muzzled,
and are not able to protect themselves
from the fangs of the dangerous marauder.
So in this case. as in every other have
known, it is the unmuzzled stranger that
does the mischief and the peaceable, law
abiding, muzzled pets of the town that
have to suffer.
The closing paragraph of the article
"Mad Dogs in Warwick" is as follows
A number of mongrel ours of both sex
es are racing about our streets nightly
which Barley with all his skill has vain.
ly tried to catch. He should be ordered
in careful manner to shoot them on the
street.
Here it is again, the proof that it is moi
the muzzled pets of our town that are
causing the annoyance here complained
of, but mongrel ours of both sexes are rae
ing about our streets nightly" Muzzled
or unmuzzIed the pets of the town are
not allowed on the streets at night. They
have their beds in the homes of the own
ers, and sleep in them as regularly al
night comes. There are dogs in town thai
have not slept night outdoors since
they we're whelped, and therefore they
connot be the ones that are racing around
But why does not the dog catcher catct
these dogs that are so annoying? Simply
because with all his skill" he is unable
to do so. 1t is more difficult than it is tt
pick up some pet dog as soon as he pokes
his head on the street.
The following very sensible editoria
from one of our leading magazines TO
August is quite timely, and seem to fit tn
conditions of the tempers of some peopl
of Warwick, if not of this community
judging by the article quoted.
The ''dog days" are the time to give tn
benefit of the doubt.
If ever there be call for the exercise b.
man of Christian charity toward his bes
friend among the animals, it is when Au
gust suns set up madness by no mean
peculiar to canine ancestry.
Even dog should have his chance. H
is human in bodily ills, as, in certain nc
BILE gu alities, his rule of conduct is tha
of the exceptional, rather than ths aver
age, man. The dog has his trials, his ms
ladies, bis exasperations, 'even as yo
andI." In the hot weather it is well t
: remember that he is still wearing hl
winter clothes, and that nature has nc
given him the cooling boon of prespirs
ton through his pores. Yet let him bu
stagger family in search of water-an
/ the cruel pack is at his heels!
It would be sad commentary on ou
. treatment of animals lift we're possible
know the percentage OF faithful dogs tbs
will be executed this summer Withou
trial, and on no other indictment tha
/ that of rumor or hysteria. Like anothe
: charge in human relations, the crime {
} rabies against the dog is the easiest to la
, and the most difficult to disprove. l
: every part of the country there will be
: slaughter of the innocent on no oths
] grounds than those which superstitio
a and prejudice are always ready to est
s plish. Rabies, one of the rarest of all d
eases, will be heralded as one OF the con
g monest and most dangerous.
: Give the dog a chance. Do not execu
8 him on the irresponsible word of son
Y unknown rumor-monger who knows l
g more about rabies than the canine victu
9 understands his offense. The line betwe'
j. the human and the BEASTS 30 frequent
II invisible in the case of dog that his NJ
der is species of moral homicide.
condemn creature of such power Of fai
and passion of love to dogs death, sil
q ply because he happens to be dog, il
it blies species Of rabies in man that spe'
/. but poorly for superiority found
q largely on self.assumption.
j. The foregoing has not been written
,e the spirit of controversy, but with t
n sincere hope that mans best friend M
have more righteous treatmen. Call
i. 'tsilIy setinentalists" if you will, Mr.. ES
q tor; but the same Good Book that teach
d men to "LoVe one another" teaches th
righteous man regardeth th g life OF
a beast; but the tender mercies of the vic
j, ed are cruel. If it be true that not
:. sparrow falleth without the notice of q
:" heavenly Father, how dare We be unco
it cerned when it is seriously recommend
i to turn a man loose with gun on o