THE DOG AND THE LAW. 
the simple reason that there would be no 
necessity for them to frequent any such 
places. 
There are all sorts of rumours and state- 
ments, however, about the enormous increase 
of stray dogs since the Act came into opera- 
tion, attributable, it is said, to the fact that 
the poorer classes who do not understand 
the Act, and have no means of doing so, are 
so afraid of getting into trouble over it that 
they turn their dogs out into the streets, 
lose, and disown them. There is, however, 
one class of persons who hail with delight 
the passing of the Act. They—the anti-vivi- 
sectionists—feel they have scored a point, in 
that sub-section 5 of section 3 enacts that 
no seized dog shall be given or sold for the 
purposes of vivisection, though looking at 
it fairly it is difficult to see why the owner- 
Jess street cur should be the only dog so 
favoured. 
Importation The power of making Orders 
of Dogs. dealing with the importation 
of dogs is vested in the Board of Agri- 
culture, who have absolute authority in 
the matter. They from time to time issue 
somewhat voluminous orders, the result of 
which is that any importation of a dog is 
attended with considerable difficulty and 
expense. 
The initial step to be taken by a person 
wishing to import any dog into Great Britain 
from any other country excepting Ireland, 
the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, 
is that he must fill up an application form 
to the said Board, which he has previously 
obtained from them, in which he applies 
for a licence to land the dog under the con- 
ditions imposed by the Board, which he 
undertakes to obey. 
On the form he has to give a full descrip- 
tion of the dog, the name and address of the 
owner, the proposed port of landing, and 
the approximate date of landing, and further 
from lists which he will receive from the 
Board he must select the carrying agents 
he proposes should superintend the move- 
ment of the dog from the port of landing to 
the place of detention, and also the premises 
of a veterinary surgeon on which he proposes 
563 
the dog shall be detained and isolated as 
required by the Order. With regard to this 
latter the Board have already approved 
certain premises for the purpose, viz. at 
Croydon, Mitcham, Southampton, and Liver- 
pool; but any premises in the occupation of 
a veterinary surgeon may be proposed and 
approved if found suitable. An imported 
dog must be landed and taken to its place of 
detention in a suitable box, hamper, crate 
or other receptacle, and as a general rule 
has to remain entireiy isolated for a 
period of six months. An Order of the 
Board dated 12th December, igor, gives 
full particulars as to the importation of 
dogs, and will be sent to anyone applying 
to the Board for it. Noticeable under it is 
the fact that the article dealing with the 
detention and isolation of a dog does not 
apply to “an imported dog which is shown 
to the satisfaction of the Board to be a bond 
fide performing dog” (why any such dog 
should be so favoured in preference to other 
much more valuable animals it seems hard 
to understand), ‘or to an imported dog 
which is intended to be exported within 
forty-eight hours after its landing.” 
The Order does not say so, but it is a fact 
that a dog belonging to any person in the 
Diplomatic Service of any other country will 
be allowed into this country, and is not 
subject to any of the importation rules. 
Another matter which is not referred to 
in the said Order, arid about which the Board 
is very reticent, is that there is an alter- 
native to detention and isolation. This was 
brought in under the last Ministry, and it 
is highly probable that on account of its 
objectionable features very few people have 
availed themselves of it. A dog under it 
has for a certain period to wear a suit of 
harnesssealed by a Board inspector, so that he 
can be at once identified; a sum of money 
has to be deposited with the Board, the dog 
has to be muzzled, and the Board has always 
to know his whereabouts for the purposes of 
periodical inspection. Whether this alterna- 
tive is still allowed or not is unknown to the 
writer ; all he knows is that several letters 
written on his behalf to the Board a few 
months ago, asking for information on the 
