share.triangle.com - Should it be illegal to chain or tie up dogs? - Comments

Someone chains their dog

Visitor — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:59:07 -0400

Someone chains their dog 24/7 so we should ban chaining dogs? You overzealous dog people should get some friends so dogs are not the center of your life. Let's promote positive ways to live with your dog and not be so close minded.

Tethering of Dogs in Wake County

Beth — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:37:44 -0400

I agree whole heartedly. I too have a dog right across the street from me in plain sight every day I walk out my kitchen door. He is tied up all day, every day and when they do let him run free, it is for a few minutes and that rarely happens. They walk about the yard completely ignoring him. They yell at him, chase him around the yard with a 2 x 4. I don't know if he has water or food. I did call Wake County Animal Control last year ... no help at all. They came out looked around and left a note on their door letting them know that they need to have water out for the dog! I was appauld. I have tried contacting several agencies but to no avail. I truly believe they only have that dog for protection purposes.

Anti-tethering ordinances

Pet Lover — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:17:42 -0400

Anti-tethering ordinances forbid dog owners from chaining their animals unattended for hours at a time.

Just remember, as soon as anti-tethering legislation is well established, it is time to start the anti-kennel legislation (I have seen references to "cage rage" by ARistas already), then comes anti-crate. Then it is time to pitch a fit about leaving your dog alone in the yard, and then leaving it alone all day in the house. Equating confinement with cruelty is the strategy of the ARistas. Any argument that you make against tethering, can be made against any other form of confinement.

You all have seen dogs exhibiting barrier frustration running up and down a fence barking aggressively. This "makes" a dog as aggressive as tethering so it will need to be legislated against as well. The cycle will not end until no one can keep dogs--mission accomplished.

The truth is, a dog is not made aggressive by a type of confinement. It is a temperament issue.

Guard/territorial dogs are more likely to exhibit aggression when confined since they have been selectively bred to be protective of their territory. Foxhounds, huskies, beagles hardly ever will show aggression as they are social dogs who were raised in groups and aggression was highly undesirable and selected against.

Training and socialization will curb aggression in your guard breeds (they learn what is acceptable and needn't be guarded against). Under-socialized territorial breeds will be aggressive; under socialized social dogs will usually be timid and submissive when approached.

A dog with a territorial temperament will display aggression no matter where it is confined (house, car, crate, yard or tethered). A social temperament will respond in a friendly manner no matter where it is contained.

A dog on a 15 ft. tether has 706.5 square feet to move around in. Even the U.S. government uses this form of containment for their sled dog teams in Denali .

Tethering is NOT an issue. It is a way of safely confining a dog.
Neglect is an issue, lack of training/socialization is an issue, lack of shelter and water is an issue; but containing a dog on a tether is NOT.
It is a perfectly acceptable, humane, and dog-friendly way of containment.

ANY ARGUMENT MADE AGAINST TETHERING CAN BE MADE AGAINST ANY OTHER FORM OF CONTAINMENT......AND WILL BE EVENTUALLY. Remember their goal.....total animal liberation from human use.

hippies and PETA fools?

Visitor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:10:24 -0400

I'm sorry, but I did a post on this and I am neither a hippie or a PETA fool (whatever your ignorance believes this to be) Although given a choice I would rather be the compassionate hippie/PETA fool than someone who chooses to "tether" a living creature.
As for "the few", I think that YOU kind of chainers are a minority compared to the chainers that they are lobbying against. The ones that obviously don't care for their dog which is left to live a terrible existance.
The people that want tethering banned are thinking of the majority of chained dogs that fill our state. By people not wanting it passed you are jeopardizing the lives of hundreds of more dogs that will die on the end of their chain every year if tethering is allowed to continue.

Tethering Isn't the Problem! The owners are!

Visitor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:45:37 -0400

These hippies and PETA fools have it all wrong. Tethering is NOT the problem, its the owners who are the problem. Also, how can you enforce this stupid ordinance? How can an animal control officer prove that a dog has been tethered more than 3 hours? (they can't!) There should be an ordinance created on the proper means to HUMANELY tether an animal, such as minimum 10 ft. long chains, cable, etc. with a swivel attachment, along with adequate food and shelter.

If this "Animal Rights" agenda passes into this ordinance, you will have more dogs getting loose and biting people, as it is very difficult to keep a dog caged that is determined to get out. Whereas on a tether, the animal has a sense of freedom while being responsibly housed. Once the dog gets out of the pen, cage, kennel, etc. it will then be a threat to the public and a drain on the animal control's responsibilities.

The only reason they are pushing this is b/c they are emotionally driven by the cruel and brutal images (of the few abusers) of dogs who are tethered incorrectly, and have ignorant owners!!

Again, its not the chain's fault, its the dogs' owners fault. Punish on an individual basis!! Don't punish the many dog owners who humanely tether their dogs!! Rather, get the ignorant owners for their stupid actions.

Please don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.

Chaining dogs

Visitor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:11:29 -0400

It should be illegal to chain dogs - and we (humans) must protect their well-being.

Ban tethering

Karen D — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:05:35 -0400

Call me crazy but I can't even leave my dogs out in the yard all day without feeling guilty let alone even think about chaining them up!
Ignorance really is bliss because before I moved here, I was accustomed to other dog owners that walked their dogs, took them to the dog park, fed them and pretty much treated them like part of the family and NOT property. Now I see things that really upset me. I'm not doubting that some of the dog owners that are contesting this ban love THEIR dogs but there is a really big problem in alot of areas where the poor animals are chained up 24/7, not fed or given shelter and it is just plain abuse. Chaining a dog up isn't kind at all. Bring them into the home to be a part of the family. Show them the love and care that they deserve. Studies show that a chained dog is more likely to bite. Their lives are in your hands-be respectful and kind. After all, they ARE man's best friend.

A chained dog is not a happy dog.

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:47:12 -0400

Kristin,
I know you probably mean well and if you have a dog you probably do love it. Let me just do a couple of scenarios as well.

#1- A brick ranch with AC and heat-let's say 1600 sq ft. Dog beds on the floor. Fresh water 24/7. Breakfast and dinner (and snacks) Back yard, fenced of course. Leashes to go walkies on. Toys to play with. Constant human interaction. Sounds like an expensive doggie care? No, it's the way my 6 dogs live.

#2- A 2ft chain with an emaciated 5 lb dog attached to it. No water or food. No human interaction. Feces all around. Fleas and ticks having a field day. Long cold lonely nights. No shelter. No love.

One of my dogs was that dog in scenario #2. It is SO heart breaking when you see what we see. I think alot of people do not see what goes on in some of these areas. I am not saying that all people that tether their dogs are bad people. But the reality is that the majority neglect these poor dogs and they become more aggressive and prone to bite because of their inability to defend themselves. Wouldn't WE be a bit pissed and frustrated if we were tied up 24/7 whether it be a 2 ft or 10 ft chain?

tethering dogs

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:10:58 -0400

No way dogs should be chained up all day and night waiting for their masters to give them food and water so they can live another miserable day. Do this to the owners for a day and they will decide its wrong. This is cruel and should be outlawed.

Joy for dogs by not

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:05:45 -0400

Joy for dogs by not tethering? You are something I cannot mention here and should try your technique for 24 hours on yourself. Go get a life or drop dead!

we do not make laws to

Kristin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:51:34 -0400

we do not make laws to ensure the "joy" of human beings, why then should we devote all this time and money to laws ensuring the "joy" of animals?

it is dangerous to assume that a law will only be utilized against those who have complaints against them, or those who are actually being "neglectful." once a law is in place, anyone can come under its reach.

i would like to propose another scenario for those who feel that tethering dogs is cruel. bear with me please:
imagine a cable set up (complete with swivels to prevent twisting, trolleys to ensure travel, and stops to prevent entanglement) that is comprised of a cable 15' long, with another cable that is 6' long that the dog is actually attached to. that is a small set up, and equals 180 square feet of living space. now, consider a kennel. the average kennel size that people buy is a 5'x10' kennel. a 10'x10' kennel is considered above average size, and is quite expensive when constructed properly. so, the average kennel size equals 50 square feet of living space, and a large kennel equals 100 square feet of living space. now, you must consider that you have to allow approximately 9 square feet of space for a dog house (imagine a 60 pound dog) and 4 square feet for an adequate water bucket. so, in our 5x10 the dog is down to 38 square feet of living space. in our 10x10 the dog has 87 square feet of living space. on our cable set up, the dog has 167 square feet of living space. now, please remember that a 15' long cable is not considered a long one by the standards of these things. so, in my proposed scenario, where is the dog better off?

groups that advocate for the banning of tethering play on peoples' emotions to try and pass laws. pictures of starving dogs on 2' chains tied to houses are very sad. i believe that owners who keep their dogs that way should go to jail too! however, situations like that are not the only way that people keep dogs on tethers, and it is not fair to lump all dog owners who tether together under one law, simply because some are unfit to own any animal - however it is kept.

if we are going to make things illegal because stupid people engage in them, we'll have to 'ban' everything!

how many of you have read 1984...?

tethering of dogs

gorgus — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:42:05 -0400

i believe it is not a good idea to tether a dog. First of all a tehtered dog is victim of other dogs and neighbors who do not like your dog or any dog and might not like you. other dogs can attack your dog and then run away., Tehtered dogs often get tangled, spill their water, run after a squirrel snatching their food and are injured. some dogs are tethered from the moment they are brought home. These dogs have no sense of behavior with other adults or other animals, and jump toward any movng object. there are quite good chain link kennesl that are 6 feet high which cab be moved around the yard, and can be covered for protection and are not that expensive. the dogs can be safe and you can exercise them on something other than a tether..... Why have a dog if you are soing to chain it up all the time

Tethering Laws give voice to voicelesss

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:43:44 -0400

For Kristen and others I would like to point out that the existing laws against animal cruelty give our Animal Control Officers very little leverage in forcing owners to properly care for their dogs. Currently, any dog living outside must only have access to occasional food and water and have a way to get out of weather (crawling under a house or porch is acceptable.) Current laws do not recognize dogs as sentient beings who feel pain or joy and anti-tethering legislation respects dogs as beings worthy of protection.
The proposed legislation is designed to equip our Animal Control Officers with more leverage against owners who are cruel and in many cases, unfit to own a dog. This ordinance will be complaint driven and give commenters like Ruthy action against the cruel treatment she is forced to witness daily. This will not be an ordinance that will come down upon me when I tether Spot in my garden while I pull weeds.
This is a way to give relief to the thousands of dogs who suffer needlessly for their whole lifes on the end of a chain. Might it mean more dogs in area Shelters? Yes. But a chance at a new life or a humane death is better than a lifetime of suffering.

Against tethering and chaining dogs!

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:04:23 -0400

NO doubt about it there should be a law against it! People should not even have a dog if they cannot give it love and attention. What a horrible existence to be chained up 24-7!

Tethers

Visitor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:59:40 -0400

There are laws in place to take care of dogs that are
abusively tethered...And what many fail to realize is that by passing tethering bans, those who are going to tether,regardless, just move farther back into the woods, removing all protection from those dogs-Animal Control cannot "watch" those dogs it can't find..
If you pass new laws, only law abiding people will follw them-why further punish this group by making it harder to keep and care for a dog?
Pen sizes are idiotic-The same laws that can assist tethered dogs apply to dogs in pens that are too small--
Careful what you wish for...next they will outlaw our crates...too small--inhumane...
The shelters are already full-why add to the problem by making lawbreakers out of dog owners??

Should it be illegal to chain or tie up dogs?

M_Dubb — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:45:30 -0400

Should it be illegal to chain or tie up dogs?