Dogs Get Their Day in Legislative Hearing
www.mainelincolncountynews.com
April 28, 2005, AUGUSTA, MAINE -- L.D. 204 would upgrade shelter provided outdoor dogs from a three-sided to a four-sided structure. The entry must be of adequate size and include a baffle, “or the passage of entrance must be constructed in a manner to provide a sheltered entrance.”
The L.D. also requires that the chain attached to the dog and the anchor point have a swivel at each end to keep the chain from getting entangled or twisted. The collar must fit well so as not to impede the dog’s circulation or its “ability to ingest food or water or to vocalize.” The chain must be five times the length of the dog from its nose tip to the base of its tail, a requirement, said bill sponsor Theodore Koffman, that provides a 10 ft. radius.
Rep. Koffman, of Bar Harbor, said the L.D. is modeled on state law regulating kennels and applies “to the rest of us. This isn’t a revolutionary piece of legislation. It’s a reasonable basic step to take.”
Robert Fiske, director of Maine Friends of Animals, the state’s largest animal advocacy group, said most of the complaints he hears from people are about “dogs chained for life,” left outside month after month in inhumane conditions. This situation many dogs find themselves in “is the most pervasive cruelty” because of Maine weather, he said.
Fiske painted a picture of misery: frozen or overturned water bowls, maggot infested food, defecation in a confined area that gets packed down as dirt or mud, neck sores from yanking on collars, or even collars embedded in the dog’s neck because of owner negligence.
In addition to the physical cruelty is the isolation. “Dogs are pack animals,” Fiske said. “When we isolate them, they suffer mentally.” Depriving them of social interaction with humans relegates them to “the status of lawn ornaments” at the least but also can make dogs tethered for a long period extremely aggressive and dangerous.
While the LD would not apply to kennel owners, several sled dog owners with kennels voiced objections. There were concerns about the weight and reach of a 20 ft. long chain and the 620 sq. ft. area that such a chain length would require a dog to inhabit. A former sled dog association president pointed out a dog seems contented on an 8 ft. chain. Another said many people might be prohibited from owning a dog because their yards would not be big enough.
Also of concern was the acquired sheltered entrance with baffle and flaps, which don’t apply to densely-coated Arctic breeds.
Paul Therriault, president of the Downeast Sled Dog Club, said the most humane way to tether a dog is by a pivot point on a 6-8 ft. tether. Longer tethers are also a source of anxiety for delivery people, he said. His primary point, and that of another sled dog owner, was that people who commit animal cruelty, even if prosecuted, “go to court and get their dogs back.” Current law doesn’t seem to protect responsible dog owners or slap stiff enough penalties on abusers.
