Unchain the dogs of New York State!

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Unfortunately, anti-tethering is also a way to get back at people who own sled dogs, many of which are kept in similar housing set-ups with the dogs in closer proximity due to them being dog-social.
You know what it seems like to me? Anti-tether is simply a way to get at non-rich dog owners. It is a way to weed out the undesireables who may desire to own a dog, but cannot afford to give that dog every little luxury that we've come to expect today.

It falls right in line with the "if you can't afford X, Y and Z, you can't afford a dog." If you can't afford a 10-foot fence with 3 feet of underground concrete and hotwire to keep the dogs from chewing the pickets, you can't afford a dog. Nevermind that sensible tethering has worked out just fine for the dogs for eons, and is no more abusive than the person utilizing it. We have elevated dogs to a status where they deserve -- nay require -- completely indoor housing with fluffy pillows, fresh water fountains and kongs filled with gourmet liver treats.

There are basics that are required for dog ownership: Food, water, shelter, veterinary care. Most go beyond that, and include toys, training, interaction, stimulation, and more. But how much are we going to require of people in order for them to have a dog? Is it going to get to a point where if you can't afford the latest high-tech gadget, you're an unsuitable dog owner? What about those mistreated dogs that must go out in the rain for potty; should we require people to build a minimum 10' x 10' covered area for that purpose?

This should scare people. How many new, beefed-up requirements and regulations are we going to allow people to put on us before we tell them to sod off? Because sure as anything, once the busy-bodies have done away with tethering, they will look at the next weakest link in the chain to pick at. It may be kenneling, or leash walking, or crating, or invisible fences. Or it may be muzzles, training collars, who knows?
 
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When you get right down to it, it's bigotted, elitist, self-righteous . . . feel free to add your own descriptive words and phrases ;)

And it is all part of a larger agenda - which does include BSL.

And BSL by any other name is just as reprehensible. And ignorant.
 

darkchild16

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exactly Baha.

When I adopted Walker because he is a Shepard mix I almost didnt get him because we only had a four foot. But then they talked to us longer found out about the greys and the APBT and all that and they agreed we would be a good home for him. THIS WAS ANIMAL CONTROL??????!!!!!!!!!! At first they wanted us to replace our 4 ft. chainlink with 6 ft. blockade so he wouldnt jump it. :yikes: He was 3 mths old (in their eyes) and all he needed was to be trained. Yes he will put his paws on the top of the fence but not oncehas he tried to actually jump it even with a aggressive dog on the other side. Then he tried to bowl it over LOL. But if they had required us to replace the fence we would not be able to have adopted Walker and he is not a dog that could be with just anyone. He needs a hard-dog experienced owner.
 

SharkyX

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definition of libel

I have a lawyer and I have always consulted with him regarding the content I publish on my website and the statements I make in my educational outreach. That is why I don't answer everyone's questions or disclose personal information about certain abuse situations I have seen. I keep records of the harassment on this forum and choose to use the ignore function on certain posters. I also requested this thread be closed because of the direction it was taking, at the advisement of my attorney. There are laws regarding harassment on the internet just as their are in real life and if you all choose to break them that is your own decision.
Can you let me know where you found the money tree to pay for the thousands of dollars of dog fencing, legal advice fees for posting content on a website and forums and still have worked relatively modest paying jobs like handler at a sled dog kennel or AC officer?

I'd really like a money tree so I can afford to put in a several thousand dollar fence at my new house instead of having to freeze my butt off tethering the dogs in the morning while I'm waiting for the ground to thaw at my new house so I can put in the fence myself.

I guess I could release them to the wild where they won't have to endure the hardship or being tied up to go pee but I've grown rather fond of them over time so knowing where you got your money tree from so I can pick up one would be of much more use.

TIA
 
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Well, I know I'm new here but I still wanted to add my two cence in.

I don't have much to add to what has already been previously said by many, all of which I agree with. All I have is personal experience.

At our house we don't have a fence, nor do we plan on ever getting one. We live in a small little group of houses in the middle of town where we are close to our neighbors and a fence would really truly limit the amount of interaction that we would have with them. Instead we have a long zip line with a rope on it that give the dogs a lot of place to run.

I have three dogs right now, one 5 year old female, one 14 year old male and one 5 month old puppy. Hannah, the five year old female doesn't like to be outside unless she is getting direct interaction with someone or they are sitting out there when she is out, and even then she would much rather be inside on the couch. The puppy of course isn't outside by herself yet. But Rascal, our 14 year old male loves nothing more than being outside on the lead sleeping in the grass.

In the summer he's out on his lead for hours at a time, typically, depending on the heat, for at most 14ish hours a day. He has water and gets fed out there and my dad will a lot of times sit on our deck while he's out there. Rascal (and the other dogs) have the option to go in at all times, the lead reaches the door to our house which they can push open and do push open when they feel like it. But he doesn't do that very often. He loves it outside on his rope basking in the sun.

He doesn't really go on walks, he's old with arthritis, half blind and deaf. But he does love to be outside. If we had a fence in yard he would do the exact thing he does now, lay down and sleep.

Hannah while not a fan of being a lone outside also likes to lie there in the summer and sleep and/or play with Rascal. She will normally be out there for a few hours everyday.

My dogs, in my opinion are better taken care of than many dogs I see that aren't tethered or restrained with some kind of rope/chain etc. Would I like to have a fence? Of course I would, but do I think not having one makes me a bad dog owner? Not in the least, I think it makes me responsible enough to figure out a safe alternative to a fence that keeps my dogs happy.

As was said, fences are not cheap and when you begin to make decrees that every dog owner should have one you make dog ownership very elitist. Instead of making blanket statements that are proved false repeatedly why not look at how the dog is physically and mentally?

Not every tethered dog is an unhappy/neglected dog and not every unhappy/neglected dog is a tethered dog.
 
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Not to bring up bad blood here, but I found this study to be interesting and thought I'd share it with the site;)

Summerview read it in full and get back to me :D

Wilmington, NC– March 10, 2007 — Dr. Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVB, of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, will testify on behalf of the Responsible Dog Owners Of The Eastern States at a scheduled hearing in Wilmington, North Carolina on Monday, March 12, 2007, concerning plans by local animal control officials in New Hanover County to implement anti-tethering laws.

The Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States, a coalition of individual dog owners, clubs, rescues and humane organizations, is challenging the proposed anti-tethering law, asserting that tethering, and the strict enforcement of local leash laws, is a safe and humane means of controlling and confining dogs to properly safeguard the community.

Dr. Houpt, the James Law Professor of Animal Behavior in the Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, is the world’s leading expert on tethering and aggression in dogs. She and fellow researchers published their study, “A Comparison Of Tethering and Pen Confinement Of Dogsâ€, in the Journal Of Applied Animal Welfare Science.

Despite recent claims floating on the Internet that tethering dogs leads to increased levels of animal aggression, Dr. Houpt’s team of researchers at Cornell found otherwise.

The Cornell study found that tethering of dogs is a safe and humane means of confinement. The study on the effects of tethering concludes that it is socialization, not the method of confinement, that influences canine behavior.

The Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States says the proposed anti-tethering law will have a negative impact on local dog safety efforts, as it reduces some of the protections found in the New Hanover County leash law, which was strengthened last year.

“Keeping our community and our children safe should be our number one priorityâ€, said Andrea Press, spokesperson for RDOES. “Loose running dogs were a serious problem in New Hanover County, a problem that was finally addressed with the implementation of a county-wide leash law, which has had a significant and positive impact on our communityâ€.

“Now the county wants to undo the protections our citizens deserve by banning leashes and tethering. This proposal clearly contradicts our new leash law and punishes responsible dog owners. It makes no senseâ€, said Ms. Press.

Neither the Centers For Disease Control or the American Veterinary Medical Association support anti-tethering laws. Dr. Gail Golab of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Committee states that the "AVMA has no official position on tetheringâ€. Dr. Golab says, “Based on a review of the scientific literature (of which very little exists) and requested professional opinions of veterinary and animal behaviorists, it appears that the effects of tethering are situation-dependent". Dr. Julie Gilchrist of the Centers For Disease Control states that cause and effect have not been proven.

The RDOES asserts that New Hanover County has a duty to protect the public health and safety of all of its citizens, as well as protect the rights of responsible dog owners.

“It’s highly irresponsible to scare the public into thinking that dogs that are safely and humanely contained somehow pose a danger to the publicâ€, said Ms. Press, who is the daughter of a prominent cardiologist in Washington, DC. “Anti-tethering laws based on junk scienceâ€.

Anti-tethering laws are also seen as substitutes for breed-specific legislation, which is strongly opposed by every major animal welfare organization as a method in the prevention of dog bites or attacks.

In addition, anti-tethering laws also may unfairly target the poor, those in rural communities, and may disproportionately affect black or Hispanic dog owners.

The Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States cited numerous issues with proposed ordinance, which is a revisal to the New Hanover County Animal Ordinance Section 5-4, the Animal and Fowl clause, including the fact that the proposed law bans “ropes chains and the like are prohibited for any purpose under this chapterâ€. In effect, this would outlaw anyone even walking a leashed dog.

The proposed law also punished responsible owners for safely tethering a dog. Fines for tethering are ten times the cost of allowing dogs to run loose, $25 for a loose running dog and $250 to safely tether your dog, and provides a different array of sanctions in conflict with the county leash law.

The issue of tethering came to light when Ms. Press, a county resident and the Southeastern representative for the Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States was cited by Animal Control for tethering her dog in her own backyard while she was at home. Officials at the New Hanover County Board of Health dismissed the citations issued to Ms. Press, finding that the Animal Control had improperly issued the citations.

“It’s important that we protect our citizens with laws that are based in fact, not fear. Anti-tethering laws have no actual basis in fact and are just the latest craze. They may sound humane, but may actually do more harm to dogs and people than goodâ€, said Ms. Press.

“Someone has to stand up for the truth to help protect our community. We are thrilled that Dr. Houpt of Cornell University is here to make sure our county officials have all of the factsâ€.

###

The Responsible Dog Owners Of The Eastern States a coalition of individual dog owners, clubs, rescues and humane organizations, advocating for the protection and preservation of responsible dog ownership, safe and humane treatment of dogs, effective enforcement of strong dangerous dog legislation, and educating the public about responsible dog ownership.

http://www.adoa.org/index.php?option...22&Itemi d=36


As some members knows there trying to say chaining dogs makes them vicious :yikes:
 

AGonzalez

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We aren't allowed to tether dogs at all where I am at...it's housing rules, they also don't provide fencing for 100% of the houses, lucky for me I have one with a privacy fence but others have a picket fence and the same rules apply...no tethers at all.
For those that weren't provided fencing it sucks, and the picket fencing is only 4 feet high or so.
 

Suzzie

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i used to tether out blossom before i got an electric fence because she was a fence jumper. Doesn't make me barbaric - it made me responsible so my dog wouldn't jump into other dogs' yards (and get attacked) or wander loose around the neighborhood.
 

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