564 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



point, could only extract the information 

 that "it is only in very exceptional circum- 

 stances that the Board are prepared, subject 

 to a cons' derat on inter alia of the position 

 as to Rabies existing at the time of importa- 

 tion, to grant a Special Order authorising 

 the removal of an imported dog from 

 veterinary to private premises during the 

 period of quarantine, and any application 

 by the owner of the dog for a Special Order 

 is required to be supported by a full state- 

 msnt of the reasons for which this exceptional 

 treatment is asked, and the Board cannot 

 consider any application for a Special Order 

 until after the Licence to land the dog in 

 question has been issued." 



The Board of Agriculture rightly or 

 wrongly discourage the importation of dogs 

 as much as they can. There is no doubt 

 that their action in the matter of some years 

 back, however clumsily it was carried out, 

 had the effect of stamping out rabies in this 

 country, and it is quite natural that there 

 should be anxiety on their part to lessen the 

 chance of any further outbreak of that fell 

 disease. The " performing " dog, the pet 

 of the diplomat and his friend, must always 

 be a constant source of anxiety, however 

 few there may be of these species which 

 find their way into this country. 



To anyone who knows anything about 

 rabies it is a matter of regret that the Board 

 do not make one hard and fast rule for all 

 dogs, and in doing so act on the advice of 

 those scientific gentlemen who know most 

 about the subject. The best authorities 

 tell us that proper quarantine for three 

 months is ample for the purpose, and it is 

 hard to understand why an extra three 

 months should be thought necessary in 

 many cases. 



It is true that in some cases the Board do 

 allow a dog out of quarantine when he has 

 done only three months, but they do not 

 advertise this fact, and seem therefore to 

 wish that it should not be generally known. 

 The sort of dog that is let out at three 

 months is the pet dog whose owner is in 

 a position solemnly to declare that it has been 

 living with him continuously for a certain 

 stated period previous to his landing ; but, 



if six months is necessary in any case, it is 

 very much to be doubted whether this dog, 

 who has maybe with his owner been travelling 

 and never on a "lead" through all the capitals 

 of Europe, is not the very one of all others 

 who shouM suffer the full term. No such 

 concession is allowed to the valuable show 

 dog, every minute of whose life has been 

 watched, and who has never had any possible 

 chance of coming into contact with a rabid 

 stray dog, and, moreover, whose owner is 

 prepared to swear to and prove this beyond 

 any question or doubt. 



Motor Cars Unquestionably the greatest 

 and Dogs. enemy that the dog possesses 

 at the present time is the motor car. If 

 any such statistics were obtainable it 

 would be interesting to know how many 

 thousand specimens of the canine race have 

 lost their lives by being run over by 

 motor cars and cycles since these machines 

 came into being. A dog almost invariably 

 leaves it till the last moment to get out of 

 the way of any vehicle on a road ; he is, in 

 fact, in this respect somewhat like the idea 

 of an Englishman given by an American 

 when asked to express the same, his reply 

 being that having been in London a few 

 days he had come to the opinion that the 

 sole idea dominating an Englishman's life was 

 to see how near he could get to being run 

 over without actually performing the feat. In 

 these circumstances it can well be understood 

 that a dog, accustomed as he only has been 

 to the steady and reliable gait of his friend 

 the horse, who also will never, if he can 

 possibly help it, tread on him, is entirely out 

 of his reckoning with the, in most cases, 

 terribly fast running motor car ; he is unable 

 to gauge its speed, and pays the penalty. 

 In towns where dogs learn to be very careful, 

 and motors are bound to be, the risk is not 

 so great, but on any country roads and 

 lanes which are at all popular with motorists 

 the mortality amongst puppies " at walk " 

 and all dogs is very serious. 



Presuming the owner of the dog is fortunate 

 enough to know whose car it was that ran 

 over his dog, and to have some evidence of 

 excessive or unreasonable speed or other 



