THE DOG AND THE LAW. 
says that any person corruptly taking any 
money or reward directly or indirectly under 
pretence or upon account of aiding any 
person to recover any dog which shall have 
been stolen or shall be in the possession of 
any person except the owner, is guilty of a 
misdemeanour, and upon conviction is liable 
to imprisonment for eighteen months with 
or without hard labour. In this connection 
it is useful to add that the statute 24 and 25 
Vict., c. 96, s. 100, enacts that the property 
in stolen goods reverts to the original owner 
upon conviction of the thief, and he is 
entitled to recover it even from an innocent 
purchaser. 
Every dog owner must an- 
nually take out a licence for 
each dog he keeps. The licence, which 
is obtainable at all post-offices at the 
cost of 7s. 6d., is dated to run from 
the hour it is taken out until the fol- 
Jowing 31st December, and no rebate is 
allowed under any circumstances. The per- 
son in whose custody or upon whose premises 
the dog is found will be deemed its owner 
until proved otherwise. 
The owners of certain dogs for certain 
purposes are, however, exempted from tak- 
ing out licences, viz.: (1) Dogs under the 
age of six months (30 and 31 Vict., c. 5., s. 10); 
(2) hounds under twelve months old neither 
used nor hunted with the pack, provided 
that the Master has taken out proper 
licences for all hounds entered in the pack 
used by him (4r and 42 Vict., c. 15, s. 20), 
the Master of the pack is deemed the owner ; 
(3) one dog kept and used by a blind person 
solely for his or her guidance (41 and 42 
Vict., c. I5, S. 21); (4) dogs kept and used 
solely for the purpose of tending sheep or 
cattle or in the exercise of the occupation 
or calling of a shepherd. The number of 
dogs so kept is limited to two, except on 
farms where over 400 sheep are grazing, in 
which case a third dog is allowed. If as 
many as 1,000 sheep are kept a fourth dog 
is permitted, and for every 500 sheep over 
and above 1,000 an additional dog up to 
the number of eight (41 and 42 Vict., c. 15, 
S. 22). 
Licences. 
71 
5601 
To secure this last exemption a declaration 
must be made by the person seeking ex- 
emption, on receipt of which a certificate 
will be issued by the Inland Revenue 
Commissioners. The Dogs Act, 1906, lays 
it down with regard to this exemption for 
shepherds’ dogs, etc., that “‘ the grant of a 
certificate under section 22 of the Customs 
and Inland Revenue Act, 1878, of exemption 
from duty in respect of a dog shall require 
the previous consent in England of a petty 
sessional court, and in Scotland of the 
sheriff or sheriff-substitute having juris- 
diction in the place where the dog is kept, 
but such consent shall not be withheld if 
the Court is of opinion that the conditions 
for exemption mentioned in the said section 
apply in the case of the applicant.” 
Just as bull baiting, etc., was 
first abolished in ‘“‘ wicked 
London,” so to the undoubted discomfiture 
of countless dogs did the muzzling 
order first see light in the same place. 
The Metropolitan Police Act, 1867 (30 and 
31 Vict., c. 134), enacted :— 
Muzzling. 
(rt) The Commissioner of Police may, 
if he think fit, issue a notice requiring 
any dog whilst in the streets (if not led) 
to be muzzled. 
(2) Any policeman may take possession 
of and detain any dog found unmuzzled 
in the streets until a muzzle be provided, 
and the expenses of his detention are 
paid. 
(3) Where the dog wears a collar bear- 
ing the address of its owner, notice of its 
detention shall be sent to the owner. 
(4) Unclaimed dogs may be destroyed 
after three days’ detention. 
Under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) 
Acts, 1878-1894, local authorities (7.e. county, 
borough, or district councils) were em- 
powered to issue orders regulating the 
muzziing of dogs in public places and the 
keeping of dogs under control (otherwise 
than by muzzling). Offenders under these 
Acts are liable to a fine not exceeding 
£20. 
