DOGS.
[To THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR."'
Snt,—On behalf of the Society for the Prevention of Hydro- phobia, I beg very cordially to thank your correspondent, "Live, and Let Live," for the expressions contained in his letter in the Spectator of December 4th. With regard to his opinion that "a proper system of registration, with a police medal to be worn by all dogs, would have been more efficacious," while at the same time he does not deprecate the use of the muzzle, I may state that a member of our committee, on mentioning the subject to a friend recently, obtained the expression of an opinion precisely similar. And there can, I think, be little doubt that such a regulation would have a very great effect towards the object whick we have in view. Our Society has accordingly not omitted to include such a measure in its programme, as will be seen from the enclosed circular. But, seeing that the correctness of that opinion is as yet a matter of doubt, while the experience of some other countries has proved muzzling to be absolutely effective, our Society would have belied its name had it not proposed this last- mentioned remedy as its chief object. To have omitted it would have been pure speculation, based on an opinion which, however- well grounded, has not yet been proved. Success in conquering a foe can only reasonably be hoped from attacking him at all points. But, so far from being, as may be thought by some, in any sense haters of dogs, our Society numbers among its committee men who are both dog-owners and dog-lovers, not to mention the names of Hugh Dalziel, George Fleming, and others equally well known in connection with dogs and their diseases. The muzzling which we advocate, being general and compulsory (with certain notable and obvious exceptions), will, we hope, be temporary only, and bring itself to an end by the extinction of the disease at which it is aimed. What the period may be will be a matter to be decided by the evidence of experts, and by debate in the House of Commons over the Bill which we hope to be the means of proposing. I claim the agreement of your correspondent in the objects of our Society, and I invite him to communicate with me, either personally or by letter, when I shall very gladly give him our circular, and place him in possession of the very voluminous, important, and conclusive evidence in support of our views which we have accumulated.—I am, Sir, &c.,
50 Leicester Square, W.U. FRANK KERSLAKE, Hon. Sec.
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