1 1 2 CROPPING TAILING. 



execrated them, and the trot was increased to a gallop, in order the more 

 speedily to escape the just reproaches that proceeded from every mouth. 

 We would have the name and address of the owner, and the number of 

 the cart, painted on some conspicuous part of the vehicle, and in letters 

 and figures as large as on the common carts. Every passenger who wit- 

 nessed any flagrant act of cruelty would then be enabled to take the number 

 of the cart, and summon the owner ; and the police should have the same 

 power of interference which they have with regard to other vehicles. 



After a plan like this had been working a little while, the nuisance would 

 be materially abated, and, indeed, the consciousness of the ease with which 

 the offender might be summoned, would go far to get rid of it. 



CROPPING. 



This is an infliction of too much torture for the gratification of a non- 

 sensical fancy ; and, after all, in the opinion of many, and of those, too, who 

 are fondest of dogs, the animal looks far better in his natural state than 

 when we have exercised all our cruel art upon him. Besides, the effects 

 of this absurd amputation do not cease with the healing of the ear. The 

 intense inflammation that we have set up, materially injures the internal 

 structure of this organ. Deafness is occasionally produced by it in some 

 dogs, and constantly in others. The frequent deafness of the pug is solely 

 attributable to the outrageous as well as absurd rounding of his ears. 

 The almost invariable deafness of the white wire-haired terrier is to be 

 traced to this cause. 



TAILING. 



Then the tail of the dog does not suit the fancy of the owner. It must 

 be shortened in some of these animals, and taken off altogether in others. 

 If the sharp, strong scissors, with a ligature, were used, the operation, 

 although still indefensible, would not be a very cruel one, for the tail may 

 be removed almost in a moment, and the wound soon heals ; but for the 

 beastly gnawing off of the part and the drawing out of the tendons and 

 nerves these are the acts of a cannibal ; and he who orders or perpetrates 

 a barbarity so nearly approaching to cannibalism deserves to be scouted 

 from all society. 



DEW-CLAWS. 



Next comes the depriving of the dog of his dew-claws the supplemen- 

 tary toes a little above the foot. They are supposed to interfere with hunt- 

 ing by becoming entangled with the grass or underwood. This rarely 

 happens. The truth of the matter is, they are simply illustrations of the 

 uniformity of structure which prevails in all animals, so far as is consistent 

 with their destiny. The dew-claws only make up the number of toes in 

 other animals. If they are attached, as they are in some dogs, simply by 

 a portion of skin, they may be removed without any very great pain, yet 

 the man of good feeling would not meddle with them. He would not un- 

 necessarily inflict any pain that he can avoid ; and here in several of the 

 breeds the toe is united by an actual joint ; and if they are dissected 

 because they are a little in the way, it is a barbarous operation and 

 nothing can justify it. 



