370 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



there are but few sheep, and yet it seems that where there are sheep 

 it is detrimental to keep dogs, and where there are no sheep it is 

 detrimental too. It is in this way: We are working under a law that 

 authorizes the constable to collect one dollar, or two dollars dog tax, 

 and when a sheep is killed, it is proved by the auditor, and the fine 

 paid out of this tax. Now, since they have no sheep, they don't 

 want to pay any dog tax, and the result is that we have dogs running 

 around anywhere and everywhere and of a much inferior quality 

 than where there are sheep, and they do a proportionate amount of 

 damage. About a month ago I was called over the 'phone, and con- 

 sulted about a dog that had gotten in among the neighbors' cattle, 

 and was believed to have bitten nearly the whole bunch. He was 

 afterwards killed, and his head sent to the University, for analysis, 

 and he was found to be mad. I was afterwards called to the neigh- 

 borhood where that dog was killed, and found four cases of hydro- 

 phobia. Now, we have the increased danger of carelessness, and you 

 can multiply the danger of hydrophobia by two. So if we have no 

 sheep we have trouble, and if we have sheep we have 'trouble. Now, 

 there is a way to legislate these dogs into control. I am a friend to 

 the dog, and would not legislate him out of existence, but I would 

 legislate him into control. I think if we put a tax of from three to 

 five dollars on every dog, regardless of sex, unless he or she was 

 emasculated, there would not be so many dogs, but what there were, 

 would be of good breed. 



MR. NELSON: There is nothing, passing this question, that has 

 been brought up today. We hear a great deal of the sheep side of 

 the question, but in our towns and villages it is customary to have 

 low fences, and in the town where I come from — Clearfield — there is 

 a great deal of talk about dogs doing damage in the yard. At State 

 College I saw the campus covered with dogs, and it is the same way 

 in our town. Now, what about the danger of hydrophobia? How 

 about the girls and boys who have suffered the torture of hydro- 

 phobia from the dogs? I think if you will turn to the report of 

 1903, you will find on page 212, a resolution that is fair to all parties. 

 Now, Brother Jaekel and I have never found anything that covers 

 all points as this resolution does, and we think that the influence of 

 this Board should be used with the Legislative Committee to get 

 this law passed. I want to be fair to the dog: I keep a Scotch Collie 

 myself, but I keep him in a nice cage, and still, every night, I find 

 my porch covered with dogs, and something should be done. 



MR. TAYLOR: This gentleman has touched the danger line. The 

 danger is to the sheep, to the horse, to the cattle and to the children. 

 In our village one Sabbath morning, a dog strayed out and went into 

 the town and bit all the dogs; next he attacked the chickens, and 

 then a little boy who tried to take him away. He was killed, and 

 his head sent to Pittsburg, and they directed that all the animals 

 he had bitten should be killed at once, and the boy sent away for 

 treatment. In our little town we have sent away six persons for 

 treatment in the last six months, and for the sake of our loved ones, 

 our fathers, our mothers, our sisters and brothers and children, I 

 think that some action should be taken. I think that you men who 

 are in the Legislature, and who have been in this Board longer than 

 I have, should be able to draft something that will do the work. 



