By Few things testify so emphatically to the progress of civilisation in the course of a century as our attitude towards arum The concern of these chats is, of course, mainly with dogs. though all dog lovers are also interested irr the welfare of animal: generally. Our outlook is so ¢ifferent from that of our great grandfathers that it is dificult to imagine that bull-baiting was not made illegal until 1853, and that fights between dogs were not stopped for some years after that date. It is doubtful if they have been altogether discontinued even now, v though anyone taking part in them' does so ut con siderable risl When a Bill to prevent bullbaiting was introduced into the House of Commons in 1802 one of its principal opponents took the line that the practice encouraged manly sports and a spirit of pluck in the populace, He did not explain how that was done by witnessing the torture of a tethered animal. Little id about the degrading effects of these miscalled "sports." A gentleman who received the nickname of Humanity Martin was ong of the pioneers of the movement for the better trea Public opinion moved slowly. first man to be prosecuted for promoting bull-baiting was let off with a fine of twenty shillings, though it was proved that the wretched animal.
ter being painfully mutilated, was removed to another place where the flesh was torn from his bones by dogs while he "was still alive.
All that is now a thing of the past. and we have various Acts designed ameliorate the condition animals, chief of which is the /Protection of Animals Act, 1911, and several amendments thereto. Dogs come under its aegis in common with other animals. One of its provisions makes it an offence to cruelly beat, kick. ili-treat, over-drive, overload, torture, infuriate or terrify any animal, or wantonly commit, cause to be committed, any act that causes unnecessary suffering. Conveying any animal in a manner that will cause unnecessary suffering is another offence. People have been fined under this clause for sending dogs by rail in a box or hamper that was too small for them.
Fighting or baiting any animal is expressly forbidden, as is the adminitration of poisonous or injurious rugs or substances, as well as sub-ect!
2 an animal to any operation is performed without due care and Kumanity. Another clause has 1 direct bearing upon a matter that has recently Dachs-Sunds having been raced successfully on @ greyhound track, the suggestion that on another occasion be tested on a live rabbit.
ridment to the principal Ao'
sed in 1921 prohibits the coursing any, animal released for the purpose in an enclosed' space, That wholesome provision put an end to port" that had been common in me parts of the country. That wa: coursing rabbits in enclosures whippets. It was a debased pastime for the rabbits, bewildered by the shouts of spectators, were too terrified to escape, even if they had the opportunity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.