The April Fool Archive

Dog Owners Hoaxed    (April Fool's Day - 1945)

Over 200 dog owners gathered with their pets near the Porta San Lorenzo in Rome after reading in the Ricostruzione newspaper that the municipal veterinary authority had demanded that all dogs be brought in for "vaccination against a sudden outbreak of typhus" that was easily communicable to humans.

"While Allied medical officers expressed astonishment, those who took the notice in good faith learned that even the address given in the story was nonexistent."

The Ricostruzione paper was itself a victim of the hoax, having fallen for a fake April Fool announcement. [New York Times - Apr 2, 1945]

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