Dogs - To Tie Up or Not?
DOGS NEED TIME OFF THE CHAIN TO LEARN GOOD BEHAVIOUR
Published With Permission from Dr. Marty Becker
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
Every time I drive the 16 miles from my ranch to my hometown, I pass dogs that are chained to a tree, to a doghouse or to a stake driven into the ground.
In the six years I've lived here, I've never seen them run free. Sadly, millions of other pets across the country share their fate. I always feel sadness for the dogs' plight. I also feel frustration at their caretakers' lack of understanding that chaining a dog all the time can have serious consequences for the pet and its guardian.
"Dogs are social animals," says Janice Willard, veterinary ethologist from Moscow, Idaho. "They need to have company to live normal, healthy lives. Most dogs live in a human family that fills their biological need for companionship. But a chained, solitary dog is in the worst of circumstances. Not only are they starved for social contact, but often they have poor social skills from lack of experience. And they often live in a state of sensory deprivation. Their environment is barren, and they have nothing to explore or play with. They have nothing to do but pace the tiny space allotted to them. Or they become frustrated by the tantalizing world just out of their reach, increasing their anxiety and agitation."
The worst punishment for people in prison is solitary confinement, while the military uses the silent treatment as a nonviolent but highly effective means of reprimand. But these are only temporary measures; a dog may be committed to the same treatment for most of its life. What crimes did these dogs commit to deserve such a fate?
If you need to secure your dog, get a big fence. If you need a security system, install an electronic one. If you want a dog but aren't willing to love it and consider its needs, get a stuffed one.
Chaining a dog all the time is no way to treat a thinking, breathing, trusting, loving creature.
Delta Animal Control Bylaw 6893, 2010 outlines teathering and chaining regulations:
Section 26
No Responsible Person shall cause or permit an animal to be left unattended while tethered or tied on premises to which the public has access, whether the access is expressed or implied.
Section 35 (d)
Every person who keeps a domestic animal must provide it with the opportunity for exercise sufficient to maintain good health, including the opportunity to be untethered and exercised regularly under appropriate control
Section 37:
No person may cause, permit or allow and animals:
(a) to be hitched, tied, or fastened to a fixed object where a choke collar forms part of the securing apparatus, or where a rope or cord is tied directly around the animal's neck;
(b) to be hitched, tied or fastened to a fixed or heavy object where the securing device fails to allow the animal the ability to turn around freely and to easily stand, sit and lie in a normal position
(c) cause, an animal to be tethered, tied or fastened to a fixed or heavy object for more than 4 hours within a 24 hour period while it is on the property of the person responsible for the animal
Ticket Amounts Per Offence:
Depending on the severity of the offence either a ticket may be written or the Animal Control Department will proceed with court charges:
$100.00 Section 26
$200.00 Section 35 (d)
$200.00 Section 37 (a)
$200.00 Section 73 (b)
$200.00 Section 37 (c)
