Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-02-21

CQoC.
But I'm afraid we're stuck W
I'm duty bound to inform you of
Informing you dogs, that is
Not you people.
This is an educational program
for dogs.And specifically, Mont
gomery County dogs.
On September Is, 1856, the
Montgomery County Council or
dained in Section 97.2 of Ordi
nance No. 3-112, as follows:
ron any day when school is in
session, no dog, whether licensed
or unlicensed, shall be permitted
on any school ground within the
suburban district between the fol.
lowing hours: one hour prior to
the opening of school and one
hour after the closing of school,
Now presume the ordinance
is posted around Montgomery
County on fire plugs and other
spots were alert dogs will see it.
I'll ignore the obvious question
of just how you dogs will be able
TO read it considering you can't
go TO school during the hours
they teach reading) and I'll take
up the psychological problem.
The ordinance is NOT based
-. Ito quote that Texas Judge)
~. on modern psychological
knowledge.
Why, for instance, would any of
you busy Montgomery County
dogs want to sniff around the
schoolyards an hour before school
begins?
About the only people you'll
meet there are the janitor, the
principal (if he's ambitious), and
an early bird teacher who went
out the night before and neglect
ed to prepare his lessons for the
next day
Few dogs l know enjoy meet
ing such people especially the
older pups who can remember
the carefree days before the ordi-
nance, when a dog could chat
with the school kids, who, after
all, are the only ones who have
anything intelligent to say to a
dog.
So this is obviously not just a
scheme for fixing dog hours and
people hours at school.
It's designed to make school
So unattractive that you dogs
won't even want to go around the
place.
If you choose the evening visi
tation hours tan hour after
schools OUT -. you'll be tempted
to associate with the most inter.
esting of all school kids the
bad ones who had to stay after
school.
But / doubt If those people who
live at your house would approve
OF this dangerous influence.
Still and all, the law Is the law
and it's my duty to warn you of
the punishment ordained by the
Montgomery County Council.
Section 97.3 says: ANY dog
which is in violation of the pre-
ceding section shall be impound.
ed by appropriate county officials
for a period of five days in such
detention facilities as are pro
vided by the county.
I'm other words. you get five
days In the pokey for going to
school during people hours rather
than during dog hours.
This. without any writ of ha,
beas corpus, mind you!
And when that man whose best
friend you are comes to bail you
out, it'll cost him five bucks a
day.
FINALLY land hate to mention
this. even If it is my duty, Sec.
ton 97.3 says: "If at the end of
the said period of five days, such
dog shall not have been re
deemed, then it shall be disposed
Of by the county authorities in a
humane manner"
What this means, the courts
VIII have to interpret. But l car
imagine a tough prosecutor say
log it means capital punishment
for the crime of schoolyard frat.
ernizing.
The moral to all this was prob
ably best pointed up by Adlai Ste
venson's position on the whole
idea Of people making laws fol
animals.
When the Illinois State Legis
leture passed a law enjoinine
CATS not to go roaming around
At night, Governor Stevenson We
tped the bill.
And the philosophical basis OF
his veto messages was that it's
part Of the nature of cats to do a
certain amount of unchaperonec
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