Man shackles himself to doghouse to promote "break the chain" law.
The "Sun-Sentinel" story yesterday (click here to read it) about Nikki, the local poster dog for the Humane Society's campaign against abusively tethering dogs, came at a perfect time. It also was the last day of Dogs Deserve Better's national Chain Off, an event held since 2003 to bring awareness to the misery, discomfort and sometimes fatal conditions animals face when they are chained or penned for hours in unsafe environments.
An estimated 6 million dogs spend most of their lives chained. The American Veterinary Medical Association has condemned the practice, saying it makes dogs aggressive, neurotic and potentially vicious.
Last year, the Chain Off drew more than 108 people in 36 states, who chained themselves to doghouses in backyards, on street corners or in local parks for eight to 24 hours to simulate what many of these dogs endure.
This year, one of the participants was Bryan Wilson, 39, who shackled himself to a doghouse in a park in Sanford, near Orlando. He and his wife, Carla, are lobbying Seminole County to pass an anti-chaining law.
Click here to read the full "Orlando Sentinel" story and see the video.
Nikki and her owner, Tony Vincent of Southwest Ranches, are pushing their hometown city council to pass a similar ordinance, as 12 Broward County cities already have done. But there is resistance in the Ranches, as there has been in Seminole County. Excuses have ranged from that exisiting animal cruelty laws already cover abusive chaining to that it would prohibit low-income people from having pets as they can't afford to fence their yard.
And here's a comment from Southwest Ranches council member Don Maines: It's better to put your dog in a pasture under a tree, with a bowl of water, he said in the "Sun-Sentinel" story, than leave it "in the garage cooped up all day."
Gee, maybe neither option is very humane. Perhaps Mr. Maines should spend 24 hours shackled to a tree in the July heat and see if he changes his opinion.
Chaining laws do stir up strong opinions, and we welcome yours at Sit, Stay, Speak!
Keep reading for one from Monica Schreiber, posted on the "Sun-Sentinel's" comment board, in response to Maines' statement and the article.
From Monica Schreiber, posted July 7,
Existing animal welfare laws do NOTHING to protect dogs from an agonizing, parasite-ridden life life at the end of a chain. This is the tired, lame argument trotted out by breeders and hunters, the only real groups that oppose reasonable anti-chaining laws.
The fact is that these laws only (sometimes) punish abusers AFTER a dog has already died or languishes on the verge of death. Existing laws in most places allow a dog to be chained to the same patch of dirt, to the same car bumper or too-small dog house , for years on end. Existing laws allow a dog to be kept in what amounts to solitary confinement for its life.
This is not about "keeping a dog chained versus keeping it in the garage" as was stated in this article. That's ridiculous. Those are the only options for dog owners? I don't think so. California, Texas and other places have passed REASONABLE laws that put time limits on chaining but do not ban the practice outright.
ANGIE BRENNAN, a Sun-Sentinel page designer,
lives with four dogs and one boyfriend. And has a lifetime of animal stories to share.
DIANE LADE, a reporter on the Sun-Sentinel's Help Team, has lived with cats, dogs, reptiles, fish, an iguana, and an armadillo.
CYNDI METZGER, editor of the Sun-Sentinel's Outlook section, is smitten with Bella, her poodle who regularly ignores requests to sit, stay and get off the ivory-colored sofa. 
JOHN TANASYCHUK, a Sun-Sentinel lifestyle writer, has lived with cats as long as he can remember. He and his partner currently share their home with three.
Comments
Hello,
Obviously it is the natural phenomenon for the living creations that nobody can survive his life in the prison like storage. Similarly for the dogs who have chained life do not survive freedom life and even they die. We have to remove this and we should pass a law to save the life dogs.
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sandrajones
AddictionRecovery Florida
Posted by: sandrajones | July 12, 2008 2:15 AM