Chaining a Dog Permanently Should Be Forbidden

Chained dogs; break the chain of misery

You will find attached proposals to present to your city or municipality. Make the necessary changes so that chained dogs become an illegal practice in your community. The proposals below are only a starting point. Here are some additions to the rules and regulations your city or municipality should adopt.

 A dog cannot be chained for more than 2 hours over a period of 24 hours.

 It should be illegal for the owner or custodian of a dog to tie it up or chain it to a house, a tree, a fence, a garage or any still object on his or her property or of the property of the owner, by means of a rope, a chain, a belt or any other means of restraint for the purpose of confinement, except in circumstances where the following requirements are fulfilled:

 It is illegal to tie up or chain a dog causing him injuries or pain.

 A chained dog cannot be left without supervision, either on a private lot or a commercial property.

 The dog must have access to fresh water and a shelter at all times.

 If water is kept in a container, it must be secured so that it will not get spilled. The bowl of water must be kept clean, away from the sun and filled with fresh water at least once a day or as necessary.

 The dog cannot be chained for more than 2 hours at a time or for a reasonable period of time ie the time required for the dog to be tie up to do a temporary task by the owner or the custodian.

 The chain used to restrain a dog must be at least 3 meters in length with a swivel at both ends. It must be properly attached to a pulley or carriage with a cable of at least 3 meters in length as well, at a minimum of 1 meter and a maximum of 2 meters from the ground so that it will not interfere with other objects risking the dog to get entangled.  The owner or custodian of a dog will be considered responsible if the dog becomes entangled with objects or with other animals, if it gets to a major road, if it gets injured on an object or chokes by falling off a border.

 On no account a dog can be tie up when his or her owner is not on the premises.

 The chain or leash cannot weigh more than 1/8 of the dog’s weight.

 The collars used to tie up a dog cannot be the strangler type; only a harness or collar with a buckle must be used.

 The dog must be kept in a clean environment, far from rubbles attracting vermin.

 Any owner or custodian of a female dog must keep it in a secure place during her period of heat preventing a male from reaching her. Furthermore, the female must not be tied up which would prevent her from defending herself or from avoiding a male.

 The exceptions relating to handling are: organized and legal functions, ie hunting, obedience class, training on the ground or in the water, training by the police or for the purpose of work or competition within the framework of legal activities.

Each municipality will determine what penalties to impose.

According to a research, many municipal elected representatives were skeptical as to the application of these regulations. We were told that the inspection or investigation was based on complaints: worried neighbors, passers-by or people who care about the well- being of dogs.

Sept. 09