Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-07-13
MENAhCE OF RABIES
GIVES BIG SCARE
Case At Tuscarora Shows That It Is
Dangerous to Remove the
MuzzIes From DOGS

went mad last Friday has set people
TO thinking. 1t shows that no dog
is safe and that it is a dangerous thing
to remove the muzzles from dogs at
any time.
1t also shows that dogs even when
confined on private property are a
menace both to their owners and to
the public. District Attorney Carville
says there is no way under the pres.
ent ordinance 10 reach dogs that are
kept strictly within private premises.
No one wants to harbor a mad dog
even il 1t is pet. And no one wants
to leave off muZEle if there is any
danger of rabies. But no one thinks
his own pet dog is menace. There
fore he takes off the muzzle in the
house at night.
T!ien when the dog develops a case
of hydrCphobia this hot weather it
may be too late. But the owner should
understand the law and his RESPONSE
bility.
In Humboldt county the district at.
torney has said, Should a person be
bitten by rabid dog, the owner there
of would not be only criminally liable
but would be liable to respond TO
heavy civil damages, and, should such
person die, the owner might be guilty
of manslaughter."
The menace from rabid dogs has
become state matter. Winnemucca
is alarmed. Two mad coyotes haze
been killed in Winnemucca within the
last week. The last was yesterday
morning at five o'clock. The danger
of dogs becoming infected from CO.
votes is very great. The Humboldt
Star has this to say of this latest de-
velopment:
About 3 o'clock this morning a
coyote was seen in the yard at the
county hospital, on the eastern edge
OF town. superintendent Wilkinson
was informed, secured a rifle and shot
and killed the animal, which was run
ming along the fence. The coyote was
a young one and from its unusual ac-
ton in entering the hospital ground
II Is assumed that it was infested with
rabies.
'The dead animal was buried deeply
but its brain was not removed to be
sent away for examination. All the
coyotes that have been killed in this
county under similar circumstances
have been found. upon examination,
to be rabid. This is the second mau
coyote that has been killed within the
town limits, but fortunately, so far as
known, no dogs have been bitten. 1t
would not be surprising, however, for
some nomadic dog to be bitten any
day and the development of a case of
rabies follow. The menace is serious
and the greatest precautions should
be taken until the disease is wholly
wiped out in this part of the state.
The only present protection is the
strict enforcement of the ordinance
requiring all dogs running at large to
be properly muzzled. There Is moth.
ing sentimental in this matter and
any person who will not observe the
ordinance deserves to lose his or her
pet.
Board of Health to Act.
"Dr. Giroux, county health officer,
has received the following communi-
cation from the secretary of the state
board of health on the subject of TAX.
ing steps to prevent the spread of
rabies in this section. The state
board of health is evidently not well
informed as to the action already ta-
ken in this county, the commission
ers, acting upon the advice of Health
Officer Giroux, having passed an or.
dinance at the May meeting requiring
that every dog running at large in
the county be muzzled:
Nevada State Board of Health,
Carson City, Nevada. July II, 1915.
Dear Doctor: In view of the dan.
ger that confronts your citizens In
the form of hydrophobia. can you not
induce your board of county commits.
sioners. or they failing you, get the
county board of health to issue an
order compelling all owners of dogs
to muzzle them as n means OF pro.
tecting the public health?
THE state board of health viii do
everything in It's power to protect your
people from this horrible affection,
and as soon as DR.. Fox arrives to
make his sanitary survey of the state
in health matters, the board viii, take
the subject up with him hoping.
through him, to obtain federal aid in
the destruction Of coYotna and all 9th.