The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-04-15
GOVERNMENT STATISTICS
ON SHEEP RAJ 81 NG
Double the American Flocks If Dog
Menace Were Removed.

Some authorities believe that the in
crease could be even as much as 500
per cent without serious interference
with the number of other animals. An
increase of $50 per cent in these Sc
States would mean in money $144, PCT, =
600. In new publication of the De-
partment of Agriculture, Farmer
Bulletin 652. the responsibility for the
loss of the country is laid upon the
sheep-killing dog.
Sheep-killing dogs. it is said, are the
principal cause of the marked decrease
In the numbers of sheep on American
farms. In ten years between 1900 and
1910 the number of sheep in the coun-
try, exclusive of the States IN the
Eastern Division, decreased $500, 600
head, in face of the fact that during
these same years the market value OF
sheep rose so rapidly that the total
value Of sheep in this arena was $19,-
100000 or approximately Is per cent
more in 1910 than in 1900 Favorable
though the market conditions were,
they were not sufficient incentive to
induce farmers to risk the heavy losses
from stray dogs.
The number of sheep killed annually
by dogs cannot be stated exactly since
there are many cases which are not re-
ported at all. Judging from the figures
in those counties and States in which
reasonably complete reports are obtain
able, however, it may be said that in
the sc farm states more than 100, 900
sheep are killed each year by dogs.
This, 1t is true, is less than l per cent.
of the total number of sheep in this
arena but per cent loss on business
that is being conducted on profit basis
of 5 or 6 per cent cannot be ignored.
This estimate, it must be remembered,
is also probably much lower than the
actual figures. 1t is certain to that
many men have been kept out of the
sheep business through fear that in
their own particular cases the loss
would be much more than l per cent.
ANY one who has actually seen sheep
killed, injured or frightened by dogs is
likely to think twice before engaging in
the business. In manv cases while l or
2 sheep may be actually bitten by dogs,
the whole flock is chased until it dies
from exhaustion.
In addition to pointing out these facts
the bulletin already mentioned, The
Sheep Killing Dog" discusses the pos
sible means of preventing in the future
the loss from dogs. At the present
time the various State laws on this
subject differ widely, some States using
the money obtained from dog license to
reimburse sheep owners, while others
permit the sheep men to recover dam.
ages from the dog owners and to offer
them no recourse whatsoever Dogs,
however. are very seldom caught IN
the act of killing sheep. 1t is always
difficult to determine their owners, and
where the damages are paid by the
State directly from the dog tax funds
the money very frequently is far from
sufficient to meet all the claims.
A remedy that is suggested for this
situation is uniform State dog law
embodying the principle of tax upon
dogs sufficiently heavy to discourage
those who are not willing to take care
of their pets from keeping them. I'm
der this plan all dogs over six months
of age must be licensed each year, the
tax paid at the time of licensing and a
metal tag bearing the license number
attached to the dogs collar. Any dog
found without this tag. unattended and
off its owners premises, may be killed
When found unattended on a farm
where sheep are kept the dog may be
killed whether it has the tag on or not,
and under any circumstances a dog
caught chasing or killing sheep may be
killed. All dogs which can be proved
to be sheep killers must be killed
whether caught IN the act or not, and
reward of SIS should be offered for any
one identifying a sheep killing dog
The money whenever possible from the
dogs be devoted to reimbursing sheep
owners for their lost stock and the
county should in turn recover this
money whenever possible from the
dogs owners. A special license should
be issued for kennels where large num-
bers of dogs are maintained under
such conditions that they cannot pos
sibly do any harm to neighboring flocks.
While some such plan as this is prob
ably indispensable to the full develop
ment of the sheep industry IN the
United States, there are cases where
the flock master will find in its absence
the use of dog-proof fences very de-
sirable. The grazing of sheep upon
comparatively small areas of land sown
to forage crops, instead of upon per-
manent pastures in larger fields. ma
terially reduces the area to be fenced
and makes this practicable precaution.
In the west fences have been built
which prove a satisfactory defense
against coyotes, and the fence that will
turn aside a cOVOte will turn doc A