138 The Carnivora. 
wet, or their stomachs empty, or, more probably, they have 
had no exercise during the day. The man who keeps a dog 
for the protection of his property, and neglects to give him 
at least an hour’s good exercise every day, ought to be fined 
on each occasion for his inhumanity to an animal of such 
active habits and excitable temperament. 
There ought, too, to be a more prompt method of restrain- 
ing the offending owner from inflicting the barking torture 
on his neighbours than is now obtainable by the ordinary 
process of summons before a magistrate. 
The nuisance is practically beyond remedy; the consequence 
is obvious—attempts are made to poison the dog. If he 
cannot be reached without detection in his yard, the bait is 
laid in the street, in the hope of catching him, regardless of 
the probability of destroying others. A person occupying 
the position of a gentleman, and in all things a good citizen, 
told me that, as he could obtain no practical remedy for 
the nuisance which seriously affected his health, he was de- 
termined to destroy the dog, and that he was then scatter- 
ing poison broadcast in the streets. I remonstrated in vain, 
and I believe he was eventually successful in three cases. 
I am as certain as it is possible to be in the circumstances, 
that two valuable St. Bernards and one retriever fell victims 
to the annoyance inflicted on a neighbour by the perpetual 
barking of another dog which he endeavoured to poison. 
Owners and exhibitors, then, who value their dogs—not 
only for their worth in money—should support one another 
strenuously in combating the common enemy—one who keeps 
a barking dog—as well from the selfish motive of protect- 
ing their own animals, as in the general interest, by sup- 
pressing a public nuisance. The offender himself is always 
impervious to any kind of appeal whatever, as such a per- 
son would be likely to be. Hither he does not live on the 
premises, or he is endowed with the nervous organisation of 
a hippopotamus, and brutally insensible to the noise. Re- 
monstrance is generally met with insult, always with indiffe- 
