14 THE BOOK or THE DOG. 



sides of each, making ten or twelve feet of benching in eacli stall, and over every door com- 

 municating with the outside yards is a ventilator, which can be open or closed at pleasure. In 

 the centre of each yard is a post for the convenience of the dogs, which without some such 

 provision (too often forgotten) will sometimes refuse to relieve the wants of nature ; and there 

 are both inside and out large troughs filled with water. 



A capital feature in the general arrangement of this establishment is the facility with which 

 a dog can be removed from one kennel to another: the middle passage can be used, instead of 

 the keeper being obliged to lead him through the midst of the other dogs, which is always a 

 dangerous and bad plan. In addition to the sixteen kennels alluded to above, there are other 

 large sheds with yards attached, an isolated hospital, and range of kennels for small dogs and 

 puppies, large numbers of the latter being born on the premises every year. The kennels for the 

 small varieties are on the right hand of the diagrams, and the only difference in them is that 

 they are smaller, and the yards are partially covered over to protect the occupants from the 

 inclemency of the weather. The boiling-house is close to the entrance of the main kennels, and 

 there is a loft over it for the storage of biscuits and other necessaries. 



We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Thomas Scorborio, the manager of the Dog's Home, 

 for some details as to the statistics and management of the Home, which cannot fail to be of 

 interest. The large dogs are fed twice a day upon Spratt's Patent Dog Biscuits and boiled tripe ; 

 the smaller varieties getting stewed beast's heads and boiled rice, and crushed Spratt's biscuits ; the 

 puppies, in addition, being supplied with milk. The kennels and yards are washed out daily during 

 the summer months with a solution of" Heal's Creosoted Carbolic Soap," which Mr. Scorborio has 

 found by experience an excellent disinfectant and destroyer of vermin. The average number 

 of dogs received per week is about six hundred, and the worthless ones are detained in the 

 Home three days before they are destroyed by poison. The more valuable specimens are kept 

 until claimed by their owners, or disposed of by sale, which can be effected any time after they 

 have been three days in the Home. Each dog, on his arrival at the Home, has a collar with 

 a brass number on put round his neck, and his fate is recorded in a book kept for the purpose, 

 so that he can be traced if necessary. The average quantity of biscuits used per week is ten 

 hundredweight, and of flesh about eight hundredweight ; the cost of food of all sorts amounting 

 to nearly 15 a week, and the other expenses to at least as much more. It will be thus 

 seen that the Dog's Home incurs heavy expenses, and it cannot recoup much from the sale of 

 dogs, the minimum price asked being five shillings. The cost of the freehold was ,1,500, and 

 the erection of the kennels and paving the yards came to nearly 2,500. 



The subject of flooring kennels is one which is perpetually cropping up in canine discussions ; 

 and as a rule the supporters of the various principles are very stubborn in their convictions, and 

 slow of conversion to any other. Asphalte, brick, cement, and even slate, have each and all their 

 supporters ; and we will endeavour to point out the objections which appear to our mind to exist 

 in the case of three of the above. In the first place, asphalte is liable to get soft and spongy in 

 hot weather, and becomes very slippery when down for a long time. This may not be much 

 of an objection to the dog, but might cause a nasty fall to any person entering the yard 

 incautiously. For these reasons we deem asphalte objectionable, though we learn that Lord 

 Wolverton has had Claridge's patent asphalte laid down on the floor of his celebrated blood- 

 hound kennels at Iwerne Minster. Brick is sure to work up in time, and the urine must 

 sooner or later work into the cracks between the bricks, and tend to render the floor foul when 

 it should be sweet and clean. Slates are apt to crack and chip. There only remains for us 

 cement, which we are strongly of opinion is the best flooring by far. Exception has been taken 



