This Day in History: 1942-03-19
A big topic before the Township Council was the problem of dogs running loose in Town. Many complaints had been received concerning dogs being allowed to run without muzzles and the accompanying danger of rabies. A petition was presented signed by 174 residents of the community requesting that the SPCA be given the task of rounding up stray dogs. Mrs. Mabel Petrie was the spokesperson for the group. She said that the previous system of paying a fee to the dog warden for each dog picked up had proved unsatisfactory. Frank Scherer accepted the petition but stated that the Board’s hands were tied on this matter. A new state law had just gone into effect on February 1st putting the responsibility onto the local police chief. The Council then passed an ordinance repealing their law on September 15, 1932 appointing a dog warden for the Township. They notified the present warden, A. R. Griffith of Blaurelt, N.Y. that his services had been terminated. They also revoked the temporary license for Mr. McDonald to run a dog pound in Cragmere. They did not announce where Chief Smith and his fellow officers were to deposit any strays that they might collect.
(Bristow)