Animal advocates say the time has come to acknowledge that chaining a dog outdoors can be a form of abuse.
January is National Unchain Your Dog Month, and according to MetLife, chaining or tethering are considered unsupervised and long-term confinement. The state of Texas passed a new law that goes into affect Jan. 18, and it bans chaining up dogs outdoors.
The law prohibits a dog from being restrained while unattended, unless the owner gives the dog adequate shelter from hazardous weather, shade from direct sunlight, and drinkable water. Chains and other weighted restraints are banned, and the restraints must be no shorter than five times the dog’s length. The measure also allows law enforcement officers to intervene immediately, and not have to wait 24 hours.
Tahlequah Mayor Sue Catron said she has strong reservations about the new law, which would prohibit people from securing pets in cases of emergency, or for a short period of time.
“Shortly after I took office, individuals representing the local Humane Society of Cherokee County provided a proposed revision to our city ordinances related to animals,” said Catron.
The city code HSCC focused on tethering, and Catron said that’s one resolution Animal Control Officer Vicky Green has recommended to dog owners when there’s inadequate fencing, or resources won’t allow the dog to be properly secured.
“I know of at least one instance during my tenure when PAAS was kind enough to provide tethers for this purpose. I feel that requiring our residents who do not have, and cannot afford, a fully fenced yard to keep their pets either indoors, or on a leash if outdoors, would result in more unrestrained dogs within the city,” Catron said.
The mayor was asked if municipalities such as Tahlequah could pass an ordinance similar to Texas’ law, if the state didn’t jump on the bandwagon. She offered her “non-lawyer opinion” that Tahlequah can’t pass an ordinance that would run counter to state law, but the city can enact ordinances that restrict or prohibit certain actions.
State Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, said he wasn’t aware of the new law for Texans, but explained that Oklahoma municipalities make their own policies when it comes to animal control.
“So city councils could enact such policy if they chose to,” said Pemberton.
He believes those decisions should be left up to local government, with community input.
Shaun West, president of HSCC, said they are against the chaining of any animal, and indoor/outdoor dogs should have secured and fenced areas for exercising and playing.
“Even in good weather, a dog chained to a tree, or some other immovable object, may get the chain wound around that and be unable to reach its food, water and shelter. That could be the death of a dog in extremely cold or hot weather,” said West.
West explained that a chained dog is a target for other aggressive dogs, and unfortunately, human beings who would harm the animal.
“Surprisingly, we get quite a few calls from concerned citizens and neighbors about dogs on chains and/or without shelter, or food. Most of the time, the owners really want to keep their dogs; they just might need a little help with a doghouse or food, which we try to supply,” he said.
Green stressed the importance of education and tools for all animal owners, as she’s seen what that can do first-hand. She was aware of a case in Tahlequah wherein dogs were chained, and had been chained their entire lives.
“When that person said they would like support for their animals, Pets for Life gave them a doghouse, dog food and a bigger collar so [the dogs] wouldn’t choke themselves,” said Green. “They gave them more tools to take care of that dog, and the next step was to get the dogs fixed, and they did, and got everything they needed.”
Green said it took two years for the dogs to be completely off their chains because of resources and training.
“You can change the mentality if you give them education. We worked with them, and we helped them so as far as going in there and saying that dog can’t be on a chain, and I’d say it’s a case-by-case basis,” said Green.
While an advantage to keeping dogs unchained is their ability to seek adequate shelter when needed, the disadvantage may be a surge of overcrowded animal shelters for dog that are picked up for roaming.
“We can write you a ticket because it’s at large, and there are dogs that are on tethers. That’s what those are for, to keep them from being run over or hit by a vehicle,” said Green.
For now, the city does have the authority to permanently ban an animal deemed vicious. The new law seems to be somewhat of a catch-22 and not a “one size fits all.”
“Seeing a dog sitting on bare dirt, without adequate shelter, on a short tether, is heartbreaking. If we are going to consider adopting codes that require more humane treatment, I’d like our Code Enforcement division to consider the language provided by the Humane Society,” said Catron.
