Tim Johnson, the mad dog, is discussed in chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird. Apparently, mad dogs usually don't show up in February, but that's what happens when Jem spots him down the road. Scout describes the dog's movements as if his left legs were longer than his right ones. Then she says that he reminded her of a car stuck in mud or a sand bed. Scout says that Jem described it physically to Calpurnia as he "gulped like a goldfish, hunched his shoulders and twitched his torso" (93). Once Calpurnia sees it for herself, she calls Atticus to get some help.
Once Sheriff Tate and Atticus arrive with a gun to put Tim down, the dog was moving so slowly, they had time to argue over who would shoot him. Scout gives a great description of the dog as he advances down the road very slowly:
". . . he seemed dedicated to one course and motivated by an invisible force that was inching him toward us. We could see him shiver like a horse shedding flies; his jaw opened and shut; he was alist, but he was being pulled gradually toward us" (95).
Discovering a mad dog is certainly important because if he bites people, they could become very sick, if not worse. It's a good thing that Jem knew what signs to look for in a mad dog, identified them, and called for help when he did. If he had waited longer, or not noticed in time, the children both could have been hurt.
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