DOGS IN QUARANTINE.
[To THE EDITOR OF rue " SPECTATOR."] Sin,—Many of us have read Lady Blomfield's letter in your issue of October 24th with the keenest feelings of just indignation and disgust at the sad fate of her dog. Have we as a nation so entirely lost our love of humanity and fair play as to be callous and unconcerned while such things are per- mitted to be possible by Government officials P Every one knows who cares anything on the score of humanity that the present system of quarantine for dogs (especially those care- fully tended and nurtured by their lady owners) is cruel in the extreme, not only to these petted animals themselves, but much more so to their unfortunate owners, who, as we well know, in so very many cases suffer intensely on behalf of their pets. The Board of Agriculture, in continuing this present system of theirs, remind one rather of the proverbial "dog with the bone," not possessing the moral courage " to drop it," simply because it still somewhat savours of what was once " a good thing," but is now long since defunct. The system has done much good ; but there is no longer any necessity for such drastic and cruel measures as the quarantine entails. Surely these delicately nurtured animals could be far better trusted to their owners under equally efficacious restrictions for private quarantine, and so end these constantly recurring scandals, which surely are an outrage on the humanity and intelligence of a civilised nation.—I am, Sir, &c.,
BARONET.
[We cannot agree that it will be wise to drop the quarantine, or even to mitigate its strictness. The proper remedy is a better supervision of the places registered for quarantine purposes.—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
