The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-18
have been connected with livestock in
toreSts in the west

have been connected with livestock in
tcrests in the west
Dog gone so many dogs
That is a remark heard a patriotic
person make the other day.
What good do they do? We see in
every town about 200 dogs to a thou
sand population. and what good do
they do? Some say they are protec-
ton, they watch the place.
Where there is one that serves as a
watchful boon there are nine or ten
that are pests. About % per cent of
the town dogs are good for nothing
the others make the exception that
proves the rule that all dogs in town
are nil.
Economically they are Il nuisance.
They eat their heads"s off every day
and bark their heads off all night.
The food consumed by "A dog in a year
will grow 100 to $50 pounds of pork
worth $l2 to $40. Safe to say the aver
age dog consumes $50 to 500 worth of
food. l doubt If there is any one who
can say that a dog ever saved them
that amount as a watchful night owl.
Sentimental rot is about what saves
them.
For every good they may do there
are 100 losses they cause. Chasing
teams and autos-dangerous to drivers
and property--is only one trait. Time
and time again have horses been made
run always and tremendous damage
done to life and property by useless
dogs. More times have they stolen
meat and other produce from back
doors Of peaceable people. killed chick
ems. and chased and worried other liv-
ing things.
Loss Of Livestock.
The one item alone. livestock. is
enough to convict the dog as a nui-
sance. 1t has been estimated that ST.
goo, 900 damage a year is done to live
stock by dogs in every state. When
meat is so high that is not a wide
guess | think it is the Breeders Ga
zette that estimated that every dog in
the country cost the sheep industry
$40. Cases have been cited where three
dogs stampedcd a herd of sheep and
killed $4,000 worth of them. Yet there
are people who say we should have
more dogs.
They will tell you we do not want
the scrub or cur dOgs--We need the
Sbou kinu. lneN All look alike WIN
their record as damage doors and food
consumers. \ tax is paid on dogs to
compensate stOckmcn for the damage
dogs do. That tax does not pay 10
per cent of the loss and besides the
stocl<men are compelled to continually
guard their property to prevent more
loss. That extra precaution taken be-
cause of our dogs costs stockmen more
than all the dogs in the land are worth.
And yet there are poor fools who say
We should have more dogs to feed like
members of the household.
l know many, many people in the
suburbs of cities or in small towns
who had to give up raising chickens
because some sentimental, silly soft
head had to keep a dozen dogs or a
dozen of said sap-heads had a dog
each. That community that loses
chickens by dogs. loses one of a few of
her best assets. What does she gain?
Figures and photos seldom lie. Fig
ure how many dogs are in your neigh
borhood that are absolutely no good.
Is the silly satisfaction of some senti:
mentalist worth ,$25 Il year" That is
Il low cost for dog up keep. Yet there
are people living on their county. or
charity. who keep Il half dozen dogs.
photo recently published in the
Breeders, Gazette showed the work OF