Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-07
WORTHLESSDOG
KILLING IS ON
State Saves Money Because of
Destruction of Unlicensed
Animals in 1916

Enforcement of the law requiring
killing of unlicensed dogs has result
ed in the state of Pennsylvania saw
ing many sheep and the counties
escaping payment of heavy damages,
according to a statement issued by
the State Department of Agriculture.
In 1916 there We're 3.723 sheep kill
ed and 2,S91 injured by dogs. against
5,SoS killed and AGA injured in 1915.
Damages paid by the counties last
year amounted to S49.4t0.54. against
SJS,96S.4f in the previous year. the
higher price for sheep causing the
average to run up. In 1915 the aver
age price paid by counties for each
against $6.70 the year before. Wash
ington county suffered the greatest
damage to its sheep.
Last year there were 1851 unreg-
istered dogs killed, against S,SS+ in
1915; 266,0l6 assessed, against 26S,511
the previous year; $197.395.9S collect
ed in dog-taN as compared with $780,
2IS.70 in 1915.
Allegheny county has the largest
number of dogs assessed with total
of 1892, but collected only S5.292.10
Commissioners report. while West
moreland county. with 11,55i dogs as
sessed and with the same dog license
rate collected St2.S45.00 in taxes. The
Westmoreland county officials enforc
ed the act to the extent that 3,I52
dogs We're killed and there was a
considerable reduction in the number
of sheep killed in injured. Washing
ton county had 7,755 dogs assessed
m a.l > -
tax and had $500 dogs killed. while
Delaware had 1853 dogs killed.
The reports show that the sheep
raisers of Washington suffered most
from the ravaGes of dogs with 1872
sheep killed and 363 injured. In
Tioga county there were sic sheep
killed and IA injured; in Greene 296
sheep killed and SIS injured; in Mer
Ger 173 sheep killed and 3+2 injured:
in Bradford IL sheep killed and 124
injured. and in Bedford 139 sheep
killed and 124 injured. There were
only eleven counties in which dam
age done by dogs was not paid for
by the county authorities. In sew
eral counties the amount of dog-taN
collected did not meet the expenses
required for paying damages. Bucks
county paid the highest average price
of sheep killed at si5.62. and Sf5.t2
for sheep injured. In addition to the
$40, 410.54 paid for sheep killed and
injured by dogs the various counties
paid out an additional SS,356.50 for
the payment of damages for horses,
cows and other livestock bitten by
mad dogs.
Some of the license fees received
from the dog-tax were: Westmore-
land. $12.S45.0O; Washington, s12,-
42150; Montgomery, SS,45S.00; Mercer,
SS.O56.O0; Indiana, s5,5SO.O0; Greene.
S5,142.O0; Erie, s5,041.17; Delaware,
sT,693.45; Cambria, s5,S64.04. and AL
legheny, s5.292.10.
The highest amounts paid for dam
ages, killing of dogs and costs, were:
Washington, $15,799.S6; Westmore-
land, $7,56s.20; Montgomery, $2.1S7.04;
Mercer. s2,964.56; Indiana, S2,164.6S;
Greene. s3.711.70; Beaver. S1,400.6S,
and Delaware, SS,25S.7e.
The general license fee in a ma
jority of counties is one dollar for
male dogs and two dollars for fe-
males, but this fee ranged from fif-
teen cents for males in snyder coun-
ty, twenty cents in Perry, to two dol
lars in Mercer and Green counties.
For female dogs the license fee
ranged from twenty-five cents in
Cumberland and Columbia counties to
four dollars in Mercer, Greene and
Somerset counties.
In many of the counties the 1915
dog act was not rigidly enforced.
especially the killing of unlicensed
dogs by constables, but the penalties
are to be rigidly enforced by the
state authorities this year and al
ready much activity has been exerted.