Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-31
Mew York
Letter

NEW YORh.-INe pet INDUSTRY
in New York is becoming as ef-
ficiencized as the cloak and suit
business.
Veterinarians who specialize in
gold fish or turtles or canary birds
are getting as common as horse
doctors OF yesteryear. Taking are
of an ordinary dog. to say nothing
OF a blooded hound, rapidly threat
n 70 become a major extrav-
agance.
Within the past few years the
number OF pet owners have increas-
ed in exast proportion to the num-
Der Of strangely assorted animals.
It Is no longer uncommon to
enter a Park Avenue apartment and
find a baby alligator occupying the
bathtub. IN fact the pet stores have
taken to specializing in odd and
unusual forms OF bird, fish ana
animal life, since the demand late
" has been for the unique IN pets.
Few Of the are specimens live
very long. Even a puppy born III
New York has a Slight chance OF
survival. The distemper average
for Manhattan Is higher than any
other place where young dogs are
concerned. For that reason, most
kennels are outside the city. Dogs
are reared to a certain age IN
Connecticut, Jersey or upper New
York state. Otherwise the dog
doctor" is frequently consulted.
A friend OF mine who makes
but a very ordinary living, but
who happens 70 be a dog fancier.
recently ran up a bill OF $500 in
dog doctor bills within a few
weeks. Then the dog had 70 be
shot anyway.
With all due respect to dog lovers,
and I am often one Of them, I
have too much fondness for even
a homeless ~nondescript puup to ask
Ii to share the ways OF an apart
ment dweller. Frequently ! read OF
gents who keep their dogs in Man
haitian hotels and apartments. Well,
I like dogs too well 70 do II.
After all. a dog Is entitled 20 a
certain freedom OF range II seems
TO me the ~so-called dog lovers who
imprison a canine animal within a
restricted three-room or one-tloor
dwelling place are not doing right
hv our Fido. Every day Of the year
the avenues and parkways are
cluttered with persons taking little
Fiji out for exercise. The presump-
ton is thai a dog should be ex-
ercised three times a day. once /
tried II. But my hours, somehow,
never agreed with those Of the dog
For mofpths 7 tried 70 sell myself
on the idea that I needed exercise
more than the dog did. But just
about that time I would come home
from the office in a state of acute
fatigue. my wife would comment
that she had 70 make dinner and
wash the dishes-and what about
the dog? An. indeed-what about
the dOg2
Starting out with what 7 Thought
was a deep and understanding
devotion toward poor RIP. / came
to look upon him as a darn nuis-
anoe and bother. Particularly was
this case when I came sleepily
home from some night club or
theater affair in the late hours Of
the night. and realized that nv
weary eyes would not be allowed
10 close until / had taken Rip
around the block a few times.
I'm aware that IL wasn't the poor
hounds fault. II was mine for as
suming that a dog could get any
thing like an even break in the
big city. There are. 70 be sure. a
great number OF wealthy persons
who IAN hire the janitor, the maid.
or the chauffeur 70 take a dog for
a couple or rounds or Central Park.
Quite aside from this. the bust
ness Of surgery has become highly
specialized where other pets are
concerned. Thus, I learned recent
IN. there are several doctors who
deal in turtles. Turtles. II seems, are
quite the thing to have around the
house. but there's something about
city life that gives them slightly
~goiterous Frowths on their necks.
And there r any number Of spe-
cialists in fish-particularlv various
forms Of gold fish. The New York
Aquarium has a regular staff Of
experts who may be called upon for
private cases. and who look after
thousands Of exhibition fish in the
meantime.