Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-01
SCIENTIFIC DOG
POUND URGED
UPON COUNTY
Humane Death of Unlicensed
Animals Is Planned by
S. p. C.. A.

The promise of Commissioner
Gil some measure whereby cats may
be mutfled, scattered, decimated or
otherwise done away with so that
! they will not be n nuisance and de-
stroy all the war gardens to-day call
ed out a plea from the Harrisburg
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals upon the recent state dog
law. Their attitude has the sane
. ton of Mayor Keister who, though
not personally attached to a pet dog,
admits that he is friend of cats,
having two famous old tommies who
welcome him home from the arduous
labors of mayoralty every day. The
( fact is therefore that although His
Honor passed along the order for
policemen to kill unlicensed dogs
running loose he does not intend 10
make his policemen look foolish by
enforcing it.
No policeman is keen for shoot
ing down q harmless dog in broad
daylight" he said to-day in discuss
ing the dilemma. "One tried it and
the whole neighborhood revolted.
On the other hand. the police sta
tion is flooded with protests and
complaints about dogs and it seems
that some measure should imme-
/ diately be taken to protect the pub
lie"
Need of Pound
Both Mayor Keister and Mrs. A.
Carson Stamm, who is a Jealous
member of the local s. P. c. A,
agree that the state law ordering
/ policemen and constables to execute
dogs on sight is illogical because the
county gets all the revenue, at 81 a
head for killings and for licenses.
, the rates are 81 for male and 50
for female: although they could
have been adjusted to So and 81. AS
things are now Harrisburg has no
dogcatcher and no dog pound Both
OF these are essential to solving the
problem and the question has been
who Will put up the money.
AIR. Bell, our president, and 9th
er officers of the society took this up
/ with the state authorities" related
Mrs. Stamm to-day, and we were
referred to those of the county. The
county solicitor told us that the COM
| missioners could pay out no funds
Tor which there is no specific act by
the Legislature, and hence the coun-
ty cannot help, although it receives
all the revenue" Regarding this
other officers of the society main
tain that the act has a clause COW
ering other expenses which might
provide what is wanted.
Urge Painless Death
The necessity of getting co-opera-
! tion is emphasized by Mayor Keis-
ter and the S. P. C. \. The present
situation is impossible. Unless ac-
companied by an owner a dog even
with license tag has no right to run
about. If equipped with license tag
the policeman dare not shoot but he
| is directed, and this goes for a citi-
zen. to lure the dog home, feed him
and advertise in the newspapers for
the owner. If no owner shows up
he is out of pocket and has dog on
/ his hands that he does not want.
His only means of repay then is 20
| kill the animal and turn it in to
the county, receiving 81 for that and
another 81 for keep.
/ Il believe l can speak for our So
, ciety" offered Mrs. Stamm to-day,
/ and 1 suggest that the county hire
! our society to look after this entire
| matter. With funds which they re-
| ceive from licenses we can put up a
| substantial dog pound, hire dogcatch-
ers and conduct this thing in a scien-
! tific manner. There will be no mas
| sacreing of dogs in the streets, no
| lying about of dead dogs, and we
would be only too glad to volunteer
/ our time and labor for the sake OF
/ the public welfare and to save dumb
! animals from suffering. This pro-
/ position is ready to be made and the
/ society will not be the one blamed
If some such project is not adopted
very shortly"