The question of the night is.....is it ok to tether (tie, chain) a dog?
Dogs need exercise, food, water, and attention on a daily basis. Right? Right. So....is it ok to tie a dog to a car, fence, pole, tire, hoola hoop 24 hours a day? No.
Is it ok to tie a dog while one is at work during the day? No. If you choose (choose) to own a dog, then you need to provide/have a secure and safe environment for which the dog to gets it's needs met much like the responsibility of mother or father of children.
Again, needs for a dog are: exercise, food, water and attention on a daily basis.
I think there is a culture difference in dog ownership...I don't know if it is a culture difference or ignorance but to make the choice of owning and serving as the caretaker of a dog, then I am of the opinion that one is responsible and should be held accountable for meeting the needs of the animal. If you do not care if the dog gets sufficient exercise or if the dog gets food, water, love or attention on a daily basis (sometimes hourly), to me, you are an irresponsible dog owner and you should be held accountable.
Yes, that means "government is coming more into your private affairs." So be it. We are supposedly a "civilized society" living in one of the most "livable cities" and dogs are way up there on the chain of companions. They are loving, smart, giving animals and to abuse them is a disgrace given we are in the age of 2007.
The City Councils and State legislators should be held accountable for making sure that dogs are protected from abuse. So far, they aren't doing such a good job as far as I can see...what to do other than speak up, take pictures, ask that something be done. And we won't even get into the enforcement of laws and City Ordinances...that's another area that needs exposed and talked about. Enforcement of laws and City Ordinances. Disgustingly lacking!
Dogs need exercise, food, water, and attention on a daily basis. Right? Right. So....is it ok to tie a dog to a car, fence, pole, tire, hoola hoop 24 hours a day? No.
Is it ok to tie a dog while one is at work during the day? No. If you choose (choose) to own a dog, then you need to provide/have a secure and safe environment for which the dog to gets it's needs met much like the responsibility of mother or father of children.
Again, needs for a dog are: exercise, food, water and attention on a daily basis.
I think there is a culture difference in dog ownership...I don't know if it is a culture difference or ignorance but to make the choice of owning and serving as the caretaker of a dog, then I am of the opinion that one is responsible and should be held accountable for meeting the needs of the animal. If you do not care if the dog gets sufficient exercise or if the dog gets food, water, love or attention on a daily basis (sometimes hourly), to me, you are an irresponsible dog owner and you should be held accountable.
Yes, that means "government is coming more into your private affairs." So be it. We are supposedly a "civilized society" living in one of the most "livable cities" and dogs are way up there on the chain of companions. They are loving, smart, giving animals and to abuse them is a disgrace given we are in the age of 2007.
The City Councils and State legislators should be held accountable for making sure that dogs are protected from abuse. So far, they aren't doing such a good job as far as I can see...what to do other than speak up, take pictures, ask that something be done. And we won't even get into the enforcement of laws and City Ordinances...that's another area that needs exposed and talked about. Enforcement of laws and City Ordinances. Disgustingly lacking!
6 comments:
Suzette:
I definitely understand your concerns. I currently live in Austin, Texas where we just passed a chaining ban, effective date October 1, 2007. Irving, Texas has just followed in our footsteps, so we are definitely creating a "chain effect."
If you are interested in enacting a chaining-ban in your community, please let me know and I will be glad to assist you in any way I can. I am currently employed as an Outreach and Legislative Specialist for the Chained Dog Campaign at a high-profile animal welfare department.
You can contact me by phone at (512) 879-7437 or at my email address, tverret@earthlink.net.
Good luck, and please know that the chained dogs are counting on us to enact laws that will protect them and our children from the dangers of continuous dog-chaining.
Thanks!
Thanks tverret, you are on my list to contact and will do so tommorrow morning. Thanks for visiting.
In the wild, dogs are pack animals which means they are social by nature. S.O.C.I.A.L. B.Y. N.A.T.U.R.E. To keep them isolated is inhumane. Definition of inhumane is as follows:
lacking of compassion, lacking kindness, reflecting lack of pity.
As we become more evolved as a society, our standards raise, especially in social areas. Dog ownership and what it means is definitely an issue that will only become more filled with laws and change at a fast pace.
I sure hope that it changes here in Fort Worth. District 5 is filled with dogs on chains 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Few have water. There are so many dogs running loose on the streets looking for food, it's hard to drive through the neighborhood without making sure you don't run over a dog.
What is being done about it? Nothing. However, according to the person over Animal Control Department, changes are in the works and will be presented to the Fort Worth City Council soon.
Suzette,
I agree with you 100%. We have to take care of our pets and if you don't want to care for them give them to someone who will. Be responsible.
You should have posted a couple images you took with dogs tied up.
Sandy
Unfortunately the people mostly responsible for this lack of care are not reading blogs or staying updated on city council happenings and the such.
And the owners that don't chain still cannot care for their pets. It pains me to drive on 287 between Downtown and SW Arlington. There are far too many animals (mostly dogs) that have met their untimely end in harsh manners because they have escaped their confines in search of food, frolicking, and other social acts.
Just being a very little bit involved in the passing of a stricter Dog Care Ordinance for the City of Ft. Worth, I can't tell you how helpful PETA was. They found this blogsite the very first time I posted something about chained dogs. Without PETA's help, I really don't know if we would have a stronger Dog Ordinance yet, in Ft. Worth. Please donate to PETA. They do wonderful work. Also, please encourage people to adopt pets from shelters and write/email your City Officials and encourage them to do more for the humane and loving care of pets. So many people just feed/water and never play or love their dogs. The dogs are so isolated and lonely. It's sad, and the cases get much worse from here, so ..yes...it's a "problem" in all over America. Thanks for reading.
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