In 1897 the Board of Agriculture decided to bring in an order to belay the killing and maiming of livestock and game by dogs that were allowed to roam free by their owners. This order was known as the Muzzling order of 1897

 

ORDER OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. ORDER OF 1897.

THE Board of Agriculture, by virtue and in exercise of the powers in them vested under the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 and 1896, and of every other power enabling them in this behalf, do order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows :

 

Extent and Enforcement.

 

This Order applies to and shall be in force in the Districts and part of a District of Local Authorities mentioned in the Schedule to this Order, and shall be enforced by the Local Authority of each such District or part of a District.

 

Muzzling of Dogs.

 

1. No dog shall be allowed to be in or on any public place unless such dog is efficiently muzzled with a wire cage muzzle so constructed as to render it impossible for such dog while wearing the same to bite any person or animal, but not so as to prevent such dog from breathing freely or lapping water.

 

2.  Provided that the provisions of this Article shall not apply to—

 

(a.) packs of hounds or greyhounds while being exercised or used for sporting purposes, or other sporting dogs while being used for training Purposes, or any dogs while being used for the capture or destruction of vermin, and in every case in charge of competent persons.

 

(b.) dogs while being taken to or from exhibitions, shows, or other places if such dogs are confined in boxes, cages, crates, baskets, or hampers so constructed as to render it impossible for such dogs while so confined to bite any person or animal.

 

Brecon and Radnor Express - 15th July 1897

KNIGHTON. - The Muzzling Order  came into force on Tuesday, and was duly obeyed in most instances although no notices had been published in the town as they had not been received from the responsible authorities. The poor dogs  looked very miserable in their nasal cages and it is generally felt that the order will cause useless cruelty and do more harm than good. The case of the poor sheep dogs is exceptionally hard.

 

ORDERS AS TO MUZZLING DOGS.

The Board of Agriculture have by Order prescribed, as from the dates mentioned, the Muzzling of Dogs in the districts and parts of districts of Local Authorities, as follows

 

Radnorshire.—The petty sessional divisions of Painscastle, New Radnor, Colwyn, Presteign, Knighton (except the parishes of Beguildy and Llanbister), and Cefnllys (except the parishes of Llanbadarn-Fynydd, Liananno, and Abbey-Cwmhir), in the county of Radnor (13 July, 1897).

 

Brecon and Radnor Express  - 15th July 1897

THE MUZZLING ORDER FOR GAME PROTECTION

Sir. - As I was passing through Knighton on Saturday last, I noticed the following poster hanging from a large bundle of dog muzzles:-

"Game Protectors. For Sheep Dogs. Sporting Dogs Exempt."

 

I am pleased to think that the public already grasp the object of this scandalous order which compels us to muzzle our sheep dogs, while landlords' sporting dogs go free. This does not say much for the intelligence of our legislators, who surely might have devised some other scheme to protect the young game than this cruel muzzling order.

FARMER  - Radnorshire, 24th July 1897

 

There were several cases in the petty sessions, in Knighton, of people being fined for having their dogs out in public without a muzzle. Some of the cases were people pushing their luck or just ignoring the order. Others were genuine accidents, where the dog had got out on its own accord. All were find the same amount of 6d with costs.

 

One eager Knighton PC was put in his place by the judge at a Petty Session, when he summoned one such fellow. The gentleman in question was carrying his dog at the time. On the session day the accused man brought the dog into court and placed it on the prosecutors table with its mandatory muzzle fitted. The dog, or rather, puppy, was only 5 weeks old. Suffice to say the case was thrown out.

 

The order only ran for 214 days in Radnorshire before being revoked. The occurrence of attacks on livestock and game was less prevalent in Radnorshire than in other parts of the country, probably due to it being a more rural area and the awareness of dog owners to the damage that could be caused by a dog. In some parts of the country it was still in force well into the 1920's

 

ORDER OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. DATED 5TH FEBRUARY 1898.

 

RADNORSHIRE (MUZZLING OF DOGS) REVOCATION ORDER OF 1898.

THE Board of Agriculture, by virtue and in exercise of the powers in them vested under the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1891 and 1896, and of every other power enabling them in this behalf, do order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:

 

The Orders described in the Schedule to this Order are hereby from and after the commencement of this Order revoked :

 

1. Provided that such revocation shall not invalidate or make unlawful anything done under either of those Orders before the commencement of this Order, or interfere with the institution or prosecution of any proceeding in respect of any offence committed against, or any penalty incurred under, either of the Orders hereby revoked before the commencement of this Order.

 

2. This Order shall come into operation on the twelfth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight.

 

3. This Order may be cited as the RADNORSHIRE (MUZZLING OF DOGS) REVOCATION ORDER OF 1898. In witness whereof the Board of Agriculture have hereunto set their Official Seal this eighth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight.

T. H. Elliott, Secretary.

 

The case for keeping the "Muzzling Act" in force in other districts until the 1920s, was due to soldiers, at the end of WW1, bringing home dogs and puppies from the front. It was discovered that some of these strays had become infected with the rabies virus.

 

The Scotsman - 13th December 1920

ADMIRALTY ORDER TO COMMANDING OFFICERS,

The Admiralty state that it would appear that recent serious outbreaks of rabies in England are directly attributable to the smuggling of dogs into this country by members of His Majesty's Forces.  In view of the grave results, commanding officers of ships arriving in this country from abroad are ordered to take steps to ensure that no dogs on board remain undetected.  The landing of dogs is prohibited, except with a licence of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, previously obtained, requiring that the dog shall be subjected to detention and isolation at the owners expense for a period of six months.

 

Posters were sent overseas for the benefit of soldier, sailors, and other persons returning to this country.  It stated  that the fatal disease of dogs was most prevalent in  all countries where fighting had been going on, but the symptoms might not develop for several months.