THE LEGALITY OF DEHORNING. 



The practice of removing the horns from cattle was first publicly 

 advocated by H. H. Haff of Illinois about 1885 or 1886, and since that 

 time has come to be extensively practiced in all parts of the country. 

 It has been found to be of great practical utility in rendering animals 

 more docile and quiet, in rendering them much less capable of injuring 

 each other or mankind, and in reducing the space necessary for safe 

 housing and shipping. The operation though somewhat severe, has 

 been found to be a very safe one, usually leading to little or no func- 

 tional derangement and not followed by severe pain or profuse hem- 

 orrhage. Nevertheless it has seemed to many that to deprive an ani- 

 mal of its horns was to practice upon it an unwarrantable cruelty, and 

 numerous prosecutions, therefore, have taken place under the law for 

 the prevention of cruelty to animals. Several such prosecutions have 

 recently taken place in this State and as numerous inquiries in relation 

 to the general subject have been received at this station, it has seemed 

 well to give a brief summary of the present status of the matter. 



The New York law, covering case of cruelty to animals, is found in 

 Sections 655 and 699 of the Penal Code, and is as follows: 



The New York Law Concerning Cruelty to Animal?. 



Sec. 665. Overdriving Animal; Failing to Provide Proper Sus- 

 tenance. — A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly 

 beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, 

 whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or another, or 

 deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects 

 or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or 

 permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly 

 beaten or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be 

 deprived of necessary food or drink, or who willfully sets on foot, insti- 

 gates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any 

 animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a 

 misdemeanor. 



