I like to think that if you had your dog on a tether in your front yard with you that they would talk to you and see if it was a permanent thing, or so etching one did occasionally because you are not allowed a fence there...I like to think.
I don't sit out there with the dogs when they are out on their lines. They're out there until I let them in. Sometimes it's one minute, other times it's over an hour if they're enjoying being out there.
The bad things about those laws is they aren't a "Let's see what the story is and if the dog is being neglected." They are black and white and you hope that whoever is enforcing them decides you aren't worth going after.
Unfortunately the current laws basically suck. As long as there is food water and shelter there is not mud they can do. The tethering law gives them more recourse for those animals who are bing mistreated to be removed. Of the animal control officers I have met very few would take your dog for having it tied in your front yard hanging out with you. Of course there are always a--holes but they, from my experience, are few and far between. Most just want to be able to get those dogs who're getting the very basic care and nothing else, into better situations.
So what? If they dogs have food, water, shelter and aren't obviously being neglected I don't think AC should be able to interfere. Just because someone might not agree with dogs being kept outside doesn't mean they are abused or neglected or living a bad life. It may not be the level of interaction or care I give my dogs but I'm not going to decree that because of that it should not be allowed. Opens the door to way too many other legislations.
And if their overpopulation is this big of an issue, wouldn't it be better to keep the dog in their home rather than in an over crowded shelter where it probably won't be adopted?
So she was picked up once in 14 years...because if she got loose you went and found her, setting you apart from the people who this law is supposed to affect, and will affect.
How so? Under this law that could have been it, she could have been altered for that.
Dogs get out, sometimes due to lack of care but a lot of times due to just messing up.
Last year I discovered Traveler can open windows. I found out when he opened the bathroom window for the first time and got out of the house. If I was there and he was picked up by AC he would have been altered.