The Rabies Panic Hits Benton County
A state-mandated quarantine orders every dog in ten counties to be muzzled or destroyed on sight to stop a spreading epidemic.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Satisfied from confirmed reports that the rabies epidemic which has been prevalent in Oregon and Idaho for the last four years has spread into Washington and threatens to become a dangerous menace to livestock and human life, H. T. Graves, acting commissioner of agriculture for the state of Washington, has issued an order requiring every dog not closely confined to be muzzled at all times. The quarantine includes the counties of Yakima, Benton, Kittitas, Grant, Franklin, Adams, Lincoln, Douglas, Chelan, and Spokane. Peace officers have been requested to assist in enforcement and are authorized to kill on sight every unmuzzled dog found running at large. The disease is being transmitted in eastern Washington largely by coyotes that were bitten by mad dogs; officials are urging coyote drives to eliminate the threat.
“Peace officers are requested to assist in the enforcement of these rules and regulations and to kill on sight every unmuzzled dog found running at large.”
This 1916 public health crisis mirrors modern concerns about wildlife-borne diseases and the tension between individual pet ownership and collective public safety. The drastic state response—authorizing the immediate killing of unrestrained animals—underscores the severity with which rabies was viewed before the widespread availability of modern vaccines.
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