1. What is
meant by "chaining" or "tethering" dogs?
These terms
refer to the practice of fastening a dog to a stationary
object or stake, usually in the owner's backyard, as a means
of keeping the animal under control. These terms do not refer
to the periods when an animal is walked on a leash.
2. Is
there a problem with continuous chaining or tethering?
Yes, the
practice is both inhumane and a threat to the safety of the
confined dog, other animals, and humans.
3. Why is
tethering dogs inhumane?
Dogs are
naturally social beings who thrive on interaction with human
beings and other animals. A dog kept chained in one spot for
hours, days, months, or even years suffers immense
psychological damage. An otherwise friendly and docile dog,
when kept continuously chained, becomes neurotic, unhappy,
anxious, and often aggressive.
In many
cases, the necks of chained dogs become raw and covered with
sores, the result of improperly fitted collars and the dogs'
constant yanking and straining to escape confinement. Dogs
have even been found with collars embedded in their necks, the
result of years of neglect at the end of a chain. In one case,
a veterinarian had to euthanize a dog whose collar, an
electrical cord, was so embedded in the animal's neck that it
was difficult to see the plug.
4. Who
says tethering dogs is inhumane?
In addition
to The Humane Society of the United States and numerous animal
experts, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a
statement in the July 2, 1996, Federal Register against
tethering:
"Our
experience in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act has led us to
conclude that continuous confinement of dogs by a tether is
inhumane. A tether significantly restricts a dog's movement. A
tether can also become tangled around or hooked on the dog's
shelter structure or other objects, further restricting the
dog's movement and potentially causing injury."
5. How
does tethering or chaining dogs pose a danger to humans?
Dogs tethered
for long periods can become highly aggressive. Dogs feel
naturally protective of their territory; when confronted with
a perceived threat, they respond according to their
fight-or-flight instinct. A chained dog, unable to take
flight, often feels forced to fight, attacking any unfamiliar
animal or person who unwittingly wanders into his or her
territory.
Numerous
attacks on people by tethered dogs have been documented. For
example, a study published in the September 15, 2000, issue of
the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
reported that 17% of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans
between 1979 and 1998 were restrained on their owners'
property at the time of the attack. Tragically, the victims of
such attacks are often children who are unaware of the chained
dog's presence until it is too late. Furthermore, a tethered
dog who finally does get loose from his chains may remain
aggressive, and is likely to chase and attack unsuspecting
passersby and pets.
6. Why is
tethering dangerous to dogs?
In addition
to the psychological damage wrought by continuous chaining,
dogs forced to live on a chain make easy targets for other
animals, humans, and biting insects. A chained animal may
suffer harassment and teasing from insensitive humans,
stinging bites from insects, and, in the worst cases, attacks
by other animals. Chained dogs are also easy targets for
thieves looking to steal animals for sale to research
institutions or to be used as training fodder for organized
animal fights. Finally, dogs' tethers can become entangled
with other objects, which can choke or strangle the dogs to
death.
7. Are
these dogs dangerous to other animals?
In some
instances, yes. Any other animal that comes into their area of
confinement is in jeopardy. Cats, rabbits, smaller dogs, and
others may enter the area when the tethered dog is asleep and
then be fiercely attacked when the dog awakens.
8. Are
tethered dogs otherwise treated well?
Rarely does a
chained or tethered dog receive sufficient care. Tethered dogs
suffer from sporadic feedings, overturned water bowls,
inadequate veterinary care, and extreme temperatures. During
snow storms, these dogs often have no access to shelter.
During periods of extreme heat, they may not receive adequate
water or protection from the sun. What's more, because their
often neurotic behavior makes them difficult to approach,
chained dogs are rarely given even minimal affection. Tethered
dogs may become "part of the scenery" and can be easily
ignored by their owners.
9. Are the
areas in which tethered dogs are confined usually comfortable?
No, because
the dogs have to eat, sleep, urinate, and defecate in a single
confined area. Owners who chains their dogs are also less
likely to clean the area. Although there may have once been
grass in an area of confinement, it is usually so beaten down
by the dog's pacing that the ground consists of nothing but
dirt or mud.
10. But
how else can people confine dogs?
The HSUS
recommends that all dogs be kept indoors at night, taken on
regular walks, and otherwise provided with adequate attention,
food, water, and veterinary care. If an animal must be housed
outside at certain times, he should be placed in a suitable
pen with adequate square footage and shelter from the
elements.
11. Should
chaining or tethering ever be allowed?
To become
well-adjusted companion animals, dogs should interact
regularly with people and other animals, and should receive
regular exercise. It is an owner's responsibility to properly
restrain her dog, just as it is the owner's responsibility to
provide adequate attention and socialization. Placing an
animal on a restraint to get fresh air can be acceptable if it
is done for a short period. However, keeping an animal
tethered for long periods is never acceptable.
12. If a
dog is chained or tethered for a period of time, can it be
done humanely?
Animals who
must be kept on a tether should be secured in such a way that
the tether cannot become entangled with other objects. Collars
used to attach an animal should be comfortable and properly
fitted; choke chains should never be used. Restraints should
allow the animal to move about and lie down comfortably.
Animals should never be tethered during natural disasters such
as floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, or blizzards.
13. What
about attaching a dog's leash to a "pulley run"?
Attaching a
dog's leash to a long line—such as a clothesline or a
manufactured device known as a pulley run—and letting the
animal have a larger area in which to explore is preferable to
tethering the dog to a stationary object. However, many of the
same problems associated with tethering still apply, including
attacks on or by other animals, lack of socialization, and
safety.
14. What
can be done to correct the problem of tethering dogs?
At least 25
communities have passed laws that regulate the practice of
tethering animals. Maumelle, Arkansas; Tucson, Arizona; and
New Hanover, North Carolina, are a few communities that
prohibit the chaining or tethering of dogs as a means of
continuous confinement. Many other communities allow tethering
only under certain conditions; Jefferson County, Kentucky, for
example, prohibits dogs from being tethered for more than
eight hours in any 24-hour period.
15. Why
should a community outlaw the continuous chaining or tethering
of dogs?
Animal
control and humane agencies receive countless calls every day
from citizens concerned about animals in these cruel
situations. Animal control officers, paid at taxpayer expense,
spend many hours trying to educate pet owners about the
dangers and cruelty involved in this practice.
A chained
animal is caught in a vicious cycle; frustrated by long
periods of boredom and social isolation, he becomes a neurotic
shell of his former self—further deterring human interaction
and kindness. In the end, the helpless dog can only suffer the
frustration of watching the world go by in isolation—a cruel
fate for what is by nature a highly social animal. Any city,
county, or state that bans this practice is a safer, more
humane community.
