The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-28
HEALTH OFFICER URGES
THAT DOGS At LARGE Be
KEPT MUZzLED CONSTANTLY
Only Way to Protect Public
Against Hydrophobia, He
Tells Council Committee.
OWNERS MAKE PROTEST
Declare Proposed Ordinance
Cruel and Inhuman-Dog
Mans Best Friend.

Health Officer Kiefer urged the
council committee on ordinances, Mon
day morning, to report fayorably the
ordinance requiring that all dogs be
muzzled when going at large in all
seasons OF the year. Commissioners
Croul said he would favor the ordl-
nance IL IL could be rigidly enforced.
Dog owners and fanciers protested
against the ordinance as cruel and
human. The committee took the orai'
nance under Amusement
DIR. Kiefer said to the committee
that constant muzZling of dogs is t1e
only sure method OF guarding agalns'
hydrophobia. DR.. w. L. Babcook'
house physician of Grace hosl Itsl'
sent a letter 10 the committee, stat
ing that ne considered the present Of
dinance requiring that dogs be muz-
zled during dog-days, was SUFFICIENT
protection against rabies.
There is not much sense in that,
said Dr. Kiefer. after the letter had
been read. "A dog may be mad and
bite other dogs and the other dogc
may not develop rabies for six months
or more, when they might bite per-
sons with fatal results. The period
of incubation of the germs varies con-
siderably. Sometimes rabies do not
develop until two years after inocula-
ton"
DR.. Kiefer stated that from March
Is to May 20, 15 persons In Detroit
rabies. The victims were sent TO tho
Pasteur institute in Ann Arbor. Dur
ing the same period, "a other per
sons we're bitten by dogs but investi-
cation showed that the dogs were not
suffering from rabies.
II mention this to show that we do
not jump at the conclusion that every
dog that bites a person is suffering
from rabies" continued DR.. Kiefer.
Some people say there is no such
thing as rabies. But | assure you
there is. A case of rabies kills dog
In two weeks, and when human is
inoculated. he dies in the most hor-
rible agony. There hasn't been q
death reported in Detroit recently,
but there is grave danger of 1t, and
when II does occur everyone will rise
up and demand why some regulations
had not been enforced. to protect ciii
zens."
Commissioner Croul said there are
between $4,000 and 10000 dogs in De
troit, and only between 10000 and H.
600 are licensed. He suggested a
change in the present method Oh
licensing dogs
MY plan would be TO have the pa
trolrhan on his beat advise a dog own
er who has not obtained a license that
he must go to the nearest precinct
station and get a license within "a
hours or his dog will be taken from
him." said the commissioner. This
would result in the destruction OF a
large number of undesirable dogs. A
dog owner must now come down to
the central station for q license.
When we get a complaint OF an I'M
licensed dog roaming around we have
to send wagon out for II, and by
the time the wagon arrives the dog
has disappeared. II is like trying TO
catch a fly. | am not very strong on
the muzzling proposition, because II
would be difficult TO enforce. A dog
kept in a yard without muzzle would
get out in the street for few min
utes, and that would constitute a vio-
lation OF the ordinance"
Norman Bennett, employed by the
Borroughs Adding Machine Co., made
a plea for the dog as follows:
II have been breeding dogs for 20
years and never saw a genuine case
of rabies. Your best friends might
throw you down, but your dog never
would. When I come to die and am
placed beneath the sod the dogs