Rules on Tethering Dogs May Tighten
www.gainesville.com
By CINDY SWIRKO
March 04, 2006, GAINESVILLE, FL -- Sharon Nataline has bumped her way down remote roads and cruised the toughest neighborhoods in a quest for dogs endangered by the chains and ropes that keep them tied in a yard around the clock.
As a local representative for the national group Dogs Deserve Better, Nataline has made it a mission to educate people on the potential tragedy of tethering - both to the life of the dog and the lives of people who may be harmed by it.
Now the effort may be drawing support from Alachua County officials.
Animal Services Director Ray Sim is researching the issue for the County Commission to consider whether it should join other states and communities in limiting the time dogs can be roped or chained.
Proponents say chaining is inhumane and can make dogs mean and aggressive. It can also make them prey for other animals or targets of harassment by neighbors.
"Dogs are sociable animals. They don't do well tied up. They are not yard ornaments. They need social interaction and stimulation," Nataline said. "After a point, these animals become depressed, frustrated, bored. Then they become aggressive."
County Commissioner Paula DeLaney asked that Sim study the matter and report to the commission at a future meeting.
Sim told The Sun that chaining and tethering dogs is not uncommon here.
Sim said he considered including provisions regarding tethering when he presented ordinances strengthening dangerous dog laws for approval by the County Commission, but decided to hold off for more study.
"Chaining and tethering certainly is an issue here. We have talked about how it can possibly lead to heightened aggression," Sim said. "I think we can do more. That's where we are headed."
Current Alachua County ordinances allow chaining but say the weight of the chain cannot exceed one-eighth of the dog's weight and the length must be at least three times as long as the dog.
The dogs must also have access to food, shelter and water.
More states, cities and counties are enacting stricter chaining laws.
Dania Beach in July passed an ordinance stating that dogs can be tethered no more than an hour between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and must be supervised by someone at least age 15 while it is tied.
Palm Beach, Hollywood and Orange County also have laws that limit tethering.
Okaloosa County ordinances prohibit dogs or cats from being chained, tied, fastened or tethered to dog houses, trees, fences or other stationary objects.
Meanwhile, legislatures in California and Pennsylvania are now working on bills that limit tethering.
Various animal rights groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals favor restrictions or bans.
Several organizations exist solely to raise awareness of it, including Dogs Deserve Better and Unchain Your Dog.
"We have billboards. We write to municipalities and counties weekly asking them to legislate against this practice, usually on the heels of a neglect case of a chained dog or an attack, which usually involves children," said Dan Paden, a researcher at PETA headquartered in Norfolk, Va. "The movement isn't to legislate against the family who ties their dog out while they wash the car or barbecue. It is against people who leave dogs tied 24 hours, seven days a week for years. That is undeniably cruel."
A mid-90s study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention often cited by proponents of restrictions found that a tethered dog is 2.8 times more likely to attack a human than a non-tethered dog.
In 2000 a 20-month old Grove Park boy was fatally mauled by a family dog that was chained. The boys mother said she saw him running toward the dog and yelled for him to stop seconds before the attack.
Terry Marie Curtis, an animal behaviorist associated with the University of Florida, said not all tethering affects dogs negatively. She added that not all dogs that are tethered become behavioral problems.
Curtis said dogs that are kept for limited periods of time on long leads in an area with protection from the elements, food, water and supervision may be fine.
Dogs that are kept on short ropes or chains with little human interaction or care for its physical needs can become aggressive.
Any potential ordinance should address these variances, Curtis said.
"All chaining isn't equal. Some situations wouldn't cause any behavior problems," she said. "If a dog has territorial issues - and not all dogs do - giving it a territory to defend is going to make it worse. While most of these dogs are fearfully aggressive - they are defending a territory but are afraid in doing so - they are likely to be aggressive if that territory is crossed because they cannot get away."
Curtis said it would be irresponsible to say if the 2000 mauling here was linked to the practice of chaining without more information about the particular circumstances.
The practice of keeping a dog chained in the back yard is often a reflection of cultural norms or income status, several people said.
For instance, it may be a long held practice in an area or a family. Or the owner cannot afford a fence yet does not want to keep the dog inside the house.
Some animal rights advocates say people who cannot care for a dog without keeping it tethered outside should not have a dog.
Sim, however, said cultural and income factors will be considered as part of his research for the County Commission.
"This could have an impact, if we prohibited tethering, on those least able to afford a fence but would like to have a dog," Sim said. "I've been trying to gather more information on that. I'm sensitive to the economic impact it might have and I'm sensitive to the fact that we do need to provide education to people on what chaining is doing."
Cindy Swirko can be reached at 374-5024 or swirkoc@ gvillesun.com.
