Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-06
Writer Sees Injustice
In Dog.Muzzling Order

To the Editor OF The star;
In a recent issue Of The Evening
Star there appears an editorial under
the caption, Problems Of the Pound
! master If I mistake not, this Is an
annual war cry, and, Notwithstanding
the very obvious solution Of the So
called problem" nothing is ever done
about 1t except to muzzle the dogs dur
ing the hot months of the year
have no desire to bring down on me
the wrath and condemnation Of vast
,, number of our citizens by inadvisedly
protesting against the muzzllng OF
dogs, but ask to be permitted to call
attention to the trite fact that the best
way to remedy an evil is to strike at Its
roots and, as in this instance, not, year
after year, infiict unnecessary hardship
on animals when the real and only
remedy lies with us humans.
Dogs do not go mad, are not danger
Gus to be allowed at large, simply because
they go unmuzzled during hot weather.
Intelligently speaking, the one and only
reason why dogs and cats go mad, or
are dangerous during hot weather, Is
because they are neglected and mis-
treated. I would defy any one to cite
one single instance in which child
has been bitten by a dog or cat that
was not STRAY" or had received the
care and attention an animal should
receive.
The cruelties that are practiced by
undisciplined children on defenSeless
animals are almost unbelievable. My
attention was called during the past
week to a 5-year-old boy who has kit
ten which he drags around by the neck
from morning until night; swings 1t
jectS it to the most inhuman treatment
and the mother of this child Is a
teacher in one Of our public schools!
May quote from your editorial?
Little attention is paid by the average
reader to the almost daily small news
items headed, Dog Attacks Five-Year-
Old, dogs Bite Four Children or Boy
in Hospital After Attack by Rabid
Dog All three of these headlines, by
the way, appeared last month, and there
will be good many more of them later.
1t is a mighty serious matter, however,
for the parents Of these youngsters"
You are quite right, it is "a mighty
serious matter for the parents of these
youngsters" especially because your
article does not give the slightest clue
as to why the dog attacked the 5-year-
DID, or what made the dog rabid that bit
the boy seriously enough to be taken
to hospital? Is the public to suppose
that the boys were offering the poor
water or bite to eat when they were
so viciously attacked? Perhaps the
previously mentioned boy with the kit
ten could most satisfactorily answer
our questions. You say further, There
is just one way to prevent it and that
is by constant and consistent muzzling.
beg, most emphatically, to differ with
you by saying, There Is just one way
to prevent it and that Is by teaching I'M
thinking parents how to properly train
and rear their children! Show me a
vicious, cruel, undisciplined child and
I will show you the embryo criminal!
Rear Admiral Byrd has been awarded
a gold medal for the humane way in
which he treated the dogs under his
care while on his polar expedition. No
body was in the least surprised at this.
One look at this mans face and bear
ing aside from his heroic action, shows
what he is-a gentleman; one who, I'M
questionably, was taught from his In
fancy the fineness and sacredness Of all
life
Teach the mothers the greatness of
their. responsibilities and there will be
no need to muzzle the dogs.
ANNE N. CULLEN.