JOIN PASADO’S on JAN. 19th – SPEAK UP AGAINST TETHERING & CHAINING DOGS!
Tethering and chaining is a cruel practice that can cause psychological and physical pain for dogs. During our cruelty investigation cases, we witness some people who own and tether their dogs transferring controlling and abusive behaviors to their human family members. Our Cruelty Investigator frequently sees the key indicators of domestic violence in these homes. And scientific studies have shown that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to abuse humans than those who do not abuse animals. But on January 19, the bill to establish humane limits and conditions for dog tethering, HB 1755 is scheduled for a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee. Let the committee know that you support this bill’s passage.
While tethering may seem like a benign solution to keeping a dog within one’s yard, it has myriad negative consequences. These include, but are not limited to, a lack of socialization, increased risk for abuse and neglect, exposure to inclement weather, and injury or death from entanglement. Dogs are social beings who thrive on interacting with humans and with other dogs. Confining a dog in this manner causes tremendous psychological pain. Over time, tethered dogs who were once friendly and gentle can become frustrated, agitated, and even aggressive as a result of their confinement. Studies have shown that a tethered dog is three times more likely to bite than a dog who is not chained or tethered.
Tethered dogs are also often the abused and neglected. They suffer from exposure to extreme weather, sporadic feedings, empty water bowls, and inadequate veterinary care. They are forced to live in squalid conditions, eating, sleeping, drinking, urinating, and defecating in the same confined area. In addition to psychological trauma, tethered dogs can suffer physical trauma, including neck injuries and accidental strangulation when they become entangled with other objects.
In addition to the aforementioned risks, when dogs are tethered, they are helpless to defend themselves against abusive people, stray dogs, and wild animals who might invade their space. Unaltered tethered dogs also contribute to overpopulation because they can still produce unwanted litters.
But you can help put an end to tethering. Use your voice for the animals and vote to break the chain! Supporting HB 1755 (Limit Tethering Bill) can only make communities safer. A measure is needed to ensure public safety and help prevent the crimes that are very predictably related to tethering dogs. Please support the legislation against tethering dogs. Watch in the upcoming legislative session for these bills and let your representatives know that you support them.
More than 100 communities nationwide have passed laws that regulate the practice of tethering animals. Help add Washington State to that list! Maumelle, AR and Tucson, AZ, completely prohibit the unattended tethering of dogs. And Orange County, FL, does not allow tethering between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or during extreme weather.
Pasado’s Safe Haven, Animal Control, and other humane agencies receive countless calls from citizens concerned about animals in these cruel situations. Animal control officers, paid at taxpayer expense, spend many hours trying to educate pet owners about the dangers and cruelty involved in this practice. Pasado’s Cruelty Investigator, Kim K., has responded to recent reports of neglected chained and tethered dogs left out in freezing temperatures. “I believe that this legislation is an extremely important tool that we can use along with education to put an end to the tethering of dogs,” she stated. “We need to ask our readers to join Pasado’s at the hearing and to take a stand for these dogs who cannot speak for themselves.”
Join Pasado’s as a voice and a force for the animals. Let the committee know that you support the passage of HB 1755. Together, we can break the chain of abuse and neglect.