[150] 



TOTAL NUMBER OF DOGS IN 1875. 



Bitches. Dogs. 



East Tennessee 2,258 49,567 



Middle " 6,080 90,413 



West " '. 4,412 63,087 



12,750 202,067 



Total in 1875 214,717 



Total in 1876 182,530 



Total decrease in dogs ' 32,187 



The sheep interest was benefitted this much by the de- 

 crease. Did any other suffer in consequence? There might 

 have been some obnoxious features in the dog law; if so, 

 these could have easily been amended. The Supreme Court 

 decided that the law was unconstitutional, that dogs were 

 property and must be taxed like other property, and that a 

 special tax could not be put upon them. It would seem that 

 a remedy might be found to cover these objections. It cer- 

 tainly is not constitutional for a man, directly or indirectly, 

 to destroy another man's property, or to exercise a priv- 

 ilege inconsistent with the freedom or privileges of others. 

 Since it is legal now for any man to keep as many dogs as 

 he pleases without paying a tax, there is a way in which 

 our sheep- raisers can utilize this privilege. The Mexicans, 

 who, by the way, are the very best shepherds in the world, 

 and have immense flocks of sheep, that are exposed to a 

 much greater enemy, if possible, than the dog I mean 

 the coyote, or prairie wolf have no trouble in keeping 

 them at bay by the following method : They select the 

 young pups from some large breed of the common cur dog, 

 and put them to sucking a ewe, first taking away her own 

 lamb. At first she will rebel against the substitute, but 

 from the natural desire to be relieved from her milk, she 

 will permit them to suck her, and finally regard them 

 with the same affection that she would her own offspring. 



