Pocono Life: Kathly Slagle Advocates for Chained Dogs
www.poconorecord.com
January 30, 2006, STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA -- Kathy Slagle believes dogs deserve better and she is on a mission to help them.
As the area representative for an international organization, Dogs Deserve Better, she is on the lookout for dogs she can help.
She has worked with state Rep. Mario Scavello R-176 to draft legislation to limit how they can be chained or tethered on a leash. Slagle is also trying to get schools involved in making valentines to send to neglected dogs.
A customer service representative for Givaudon fragrance company in Mount Olive, N.J., she learned about the organization because of a dog who was being mistreated near where she worked.
"They knew I was interested in animals and I got a call," Slagle said, as she petted Cujo, an Eurasier who has been with her since July.
That's how she became the area representative.
The organization, started in 2002 by Tammy Grimes of Tipton, has 105 representatives in the Northeast, one in Puerto Rico, three in Canada and one in Australia.
"I was always interested in chained dogs," she said. Growing up in Tobyhanna, the family always had pets. "It always bothered me when I saw animals being mistreated," Slagle said.
When she was 11 or 12, she started calling the SPCA about dogs in her neighborhood. "My mother wasn't happy about that," she recalled.
But she said she's learned, "If someone is neglecting or abusing animals, chances are that won't change too easily."
She's trying to help by sending letters to dog owners and then stopping and putting tags on the owners' doors. The tags have the phrase, "Please don't shut me out. I want to be with you."
"Dogs are highly social pack animals. One of the cruelest things you can do is take them out and isolate them," Slagle said, "Those are the dogs who become bored, anxious or neurotic. Those are the dogs that bite kids."
She cited statistics that from October 2003 to now, 63 people have been seriously bitten or have died as a result of dog attacks.
"All the dogs we've come across are infected with fleas and have worms. Anyone who ties his dog out is not a responsible pet owner," Slagle said. "If you don't want the dog, give it up."
She said dogs who are tied out for long periods of time often don't have adequate shelter and cannot escape from attacks of other animals. Likewise, people shouldn't let dogs run, which can bring other dangers to them.
"If you bring the dog in the house, it's socialized and with the family," Slagle said.
At this time of the year, the organization often gets word about dogs freezing to death. "Dogs chained to coops can't even run to get warm," Slagle said, adding that in extreme heat dogs need shade. "Dog coops are not shade. They become an oven," she said.
With so many animal advocacy organizations, Dogs Deserve Better decided to choose one cause. "We wanted to pick one and be good at one," Slagle said. "We want to be a resource for people who want to give up a dog being chained."
The form letter is accompanied by a handwritten note. Slagle writes, "If you don't want your dog, would you let us find it a home?"
Most of the time they get no response. "But some you do," she said.
If House Bill 1911 is passed, people will not be allowed to tie out a dog more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period. "The whole movement is meant to make people realize that dogs should have socialization," Slagle said. "It's not OK to do this. It's cruel and inhumane."
Drafting the legislation has been time-consuming. "I can't quit," Slagle said. "Animals have no voice. We have to be the voice. They are away in the background, and no one sees them suffering psychological and physical damage."
As a representative of Dogs Deserve Better, Slagle also helps to transport animals to new homes. "There is a whole network when you place a dog or find a dog a home," Slagle said.
Recently she was one of the legs to transport two little puppies from upstate New York to Philadelphia.
"They put out a notice and people respond," Slagle said. She transported the puppies from Clarks Summit to Allentown.
"I had no idea what went on. There are just groups out there dedicated to transporting," Slagle said,
She also recently picked up a dog near State College and brought him to Stroudsburg to meet his new owner from New Jersey. The dog, a Catahoula Leopard Hound, started out in Texas and rode with truckers from Texas to Ohio.
The volunteers take pictures of the dogs when they are being handed off to the next volunteer.
"It's very frustrating at times — the things no one ever imagined went on," Slagle said.
She said she used to try to ignore bad news about dogs. "I would say, 'No, don't tell me, I won't sleep,'" Slagle said. Now she says, "I have to look to see what's going on if I'm going to be effective."
For information, visit www.dogsdeservebetter.com
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This is the form letter Slagle sends to people who she believes are neglecting their dogs. She adds a handwritten note with her contact information.
Dear Animal Caretaker,
We are an advocacy group dedicated to getting dogs off chains and into the family. We ask you today to reconsider your decision to chain your dog(s) outside to live. Dogs are very loving, very pack-oriented creatures. They want nothing more than the love of a family and to feel a member of your family as much as possible.
Would you for one minute exchange places with your dog? Living chained by the neck is not an option that any human would choose, and we need to make better choices for “our best friends.” This is the life of a prisoner, not a valued pet.
You may feed and water your dog every day, but that does not begin to fulfill his/her needs. Dogs need interaction, exercise and love. They are the neediest pet in existence, most like the human in their need for companionship.
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture no longer allows chaining on its installations, deeming it “cruel and inhumane?” Did you know that the Humane Society of the United States and the SPCA also deem chaining cruel and inhumane? Did you know that most of your neighbors deem chaining cruel and inhumane, and haven’t yet gotten the courage to tell you? Did you know that every single person that walks a dog down your street deems chaining cruel and inhumane? And they pity your dog? Think about it.
We can help give your dog a better life. The best option is to bring your pet into your home and give him/her the family they long for. If they need training and you feel overwhelmed by this, please give us a call. We can help you get a crate to housetrain, and we may have volunteer trainers to help you train your dog to better accommodate in-home living.
For yard containment, we suggest you fence the largest portion possible, giving your dog a step up, more freedom, and more respect. We can also find volunteers to help install a fence.
If you would like your dog to have a better life, buy are unwilling or unable to provide that for your pet, consider locating a rescue group for your breed or placing an ad to find a home where he will be inside and free of chains. Call us, we will make every effort to help you find an inside home for your dog. Please be responsible when searching for a home; check out every applicant to protect your pet from serious danger or death. Under the circumstances, that would be the best gift you could give him/her.
Feel free to call if you’d like support in making your dog’s life worth living. For help, contact Kathleen Slagle at (570) 476-5970, e-mail to kates@doglover.com or visit www.dogsdeservebetter.com.
