PA Proposed Law to outlaw Dog Tethering

[pamnock]

Pennsylvania is proposing a law to outlaw thetethering or penning of dogs outside for more than a 16 hour period oftime (basically outlawing keeping a dog outside).

Many dogs are kept tied/penned up outside and many people own huntingdogs that are kept outside - in fact, one of our tenants has a largehound dog tied up outside (this is a dog that absolutely could not bekept inside).

Personally, I don't choose to have a dog tied up outside (our dog is ahouse dog) - however, I believe I should have the right to keep a dogoutside if I choose to do so.



What do you guys think about this law?

Pam

 

[Snuggys Mom]

Personally, I would never chain or tie a dog outside.

I would be worried this law would cause more people to let their dogs run loose, which isa bigger problem.

 

[pamnock]

Our tenants also have a Beagle that is a housedog. The little booger barks non-stop until it's putoutside. I think there are many dogs that simply can't behoused indoors.

Snuggy - I agree that this maycause problems with dogsrunning loose. Also note this law would not only prohibittethering a dog outside - it also would prohibit keeping a dog in anoutside pen.

Pam

 

[pinksalamander]

My Gran lives in a very old Manor House and theyhave a built-in dog kennel. Because my Grans dogs are hunting dogs(pheasant shooting, my Grandad is more of a clay pigeon shooter). Theycan easily be kept inside but why not outside? They enjoycuddling up together and they develop lovely thick coats and preferoutside to inside. I think that law (thank god its not here) is totallystupid. Dogs are naturally outside and it doesn't hurt them at all? Letpeople make their own choices!

 

[Snuggys Mom]

That is crazy. If you have a fenced yard, can you keep them outside?

My dog is inside most of the time, but he likes to spend nice days outin the back yard, sunning himself. He hates staying insidewhen we're not there.

 

[pamnock]

According to info from another site that Ichecked out, the legislation was not passed in PA and is no longerpending(athough my newspaper from today stated thislegislation was currently pending).

The same type of legislation is pending in a number of other states.

Snuggy - the proposed law appeared to apply to any fencedarea. There were time limits as to how long the dog could beleft in the fenced area.

Pam

 

[Bassetluv]

I'm not sure I'd be 100% supportive of this law,but I can guess as to why it is being proposed...I suspect thatithas been drawn upin an effort to curtail excessbarking, and/or neglect - leaving a dog alone and not giving itadequate human contact. I do tie my dog outside in the summertime whenshe wants...I have a fenced backyard, but Kaya becomes bored out thereby herself, and actually prefers to be tied out front for 2 or 3 hourswhere she can watch the world go by.

I too, would not consider tethering a dog outdoors for anywhere near 16hours at a time. There just seems to be something particularly cruelabout it, at least to me. Keeping a dog in an outdoor pen however,doesn't seem quite so bad (not exactly sure why though...maybe it'ssimply a psychological thing with me) so long as the dog is given tonsof attention and love, and the pen is roomy and provides all thenecessities. I guess it's comparable to rabbits...I don't mind rabbitsbeing kept outdoors so long as they are provided with lots of attentionand love.

Unfortunately, the introduction of any law has the potential of bothgood and bad results. I guess if this law has the potential to preventcruelties to dogs being left outdoors without adequateattention/shelter, etc., then I suppose I'd be for it...

 

[seniorcats]

I think people need to use their common sense onthis issue, although I think a similar law would save some lives aroundhere. I personally would not leave a dog tethered outside atall.A number of tethered dogs in my neighborhoodwere attacked by coyotes (last 2 winters - must have beenhungry). Some of the smaller dogs were eaten in theirpens. Some of the larger dogs who might have been able tofight off a coyote were unable to do so because they were tiedup. The same thing happened to my neighbor who kept his 2goats tethered in a pen.

 

[pamnock]

I can understand the sentiment against tetheringoutside on chains, however, I didn't like how they tried to also sneakin outlawing outside enclosures for dogs. This would put manybreeders out of business. There are also many types ofworking dogs (such as Huskies) that are working dogs bred for outdooruse. They do not make good housedogs. There arealso some breeds of dogs that are simply too active and too destructivefor living in a family home.

Pam

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

What Bassetluv said! That is theproblem in our neighborhood. Most houses around us arerentals and the tenants are neglectful of their propertyandcars, let alone their pets. Who wants to hearexcessive barking or see neglect?

Last winteranimal control came around a few times to this guytwo houses down from us, he kept a pitbull outside at first in a kenneland then on a chain. He would be gone for days sometimes, thedog would jump up on his igloo (which was next to a neighboring fence)and he would jump over the fence and be stuck on the other side of thefence w/ no room to move. My husband attempted to get it backover, but it seemed mean so he didn't. Luckily the guy camehome not long after.

We also noticed the dog looking emaciated.Within amonth at most, he gave it hay for warmth and food dishes FILLED, whichhe was told to do by animal control or they would take it. (Iwas eavesdropping. :shock: I didn't want him to think wecalled, we didn't, but were getting ready to.)

Some people just don't care. I don't understand why someonewould have an animal that you don't have time for, want, give anyattention to or feed. Makes me crazy.

Dont' get me wrong, there's nothing wrong w/ keeping pets outside, mostof them love it. Some people just lack common sense.ullhair:

 

[pamnock]

Snuffles wrote:

Dont' get me wrong, there's nothing wrong w/ keeping pets outside, mostof them love it. Some people just lack common sense.ullhair:

Most Certainly :X

Another issue of the house dogs - many people crate their dogs duringthe day (8 + hours) while they are at work. How is stuffingthe dog into a tiny crate preferable to a spacious outdoor run?



Pam

 

[seniorcats]

pamnock wrote:

Ican understand the sentiment against tethering outside on chains,however, I didn't like how they tried to also sneak in outlawingoutside enclosures for dogs. This would put many breeders outof business. There are also many types of working dogs (suchas Huskies) that are working dogs bred for outdoor use. Theydo not make good housedogs. There are also some breeds ofdogs that are simply too active and too destructive for living in afamily home.

Pam

Oh I see, that's really two very different issues. I don'tsee any problems with an outside enclosure that includes shelter frominclement weather.

 

[maherwoman]

I agree completely. My dad has threedogs he keeps outdoors, one is a hunting dog, the other two are not,but prefer to be outside. All three are simply too big to beinside dogs. My sister also has a large outside dog (Boxermix), and though I don't agree with her general lack of care of herdog, I also wouldn't advice something that large being an indoorpet. Yes, letting the pup indoors once in a while isn't a badthing, but it LIVING indoors, during the night and some such...seemsquite impossible to me. It's kinda limiting people to havesmaller breeds, since these larger dogs (which take up much more of thepup population than the smaller breeds) simply cannot be kept indoors.

Obviously I don't agree with people neglecting their animal(s), but Ialso don't think it's right to regulate how much time your animal canbe kept outdoors. It lumps all people that do thattogether...the ones who ignore their animal(s), and the ones who visitthem often and take great care of them...and that's never good.

pamnock wrote:

I can understand thesentiment against tethering outside on chains, however, I didn't likehow they tried to also sneak in outlawing outside enclosures fordogs. This would put many breeders out of business.There are also many types of working dogs (such as Huskies) that areworking dogs bred for outdoor use. They do not make goodhousedogs. There are also some breeds of dogs that are simplytoo active and too destructive for living in a family home.

Pam

 

[Spring]

I guess I could see how that law could do good,but in my opinion it does more harm than good. I know some ignorantpeople keep their dogs outside and ignore them, but I also know ofpeople who could not even try to keep their dogs indoors. I know twodogs that are collies, and even when they have to be put in the garageduring bad weather, or the heat, they go nuts. They hate being confinedindoors, and much rather be outdoors.

What about people who couldn't have their big dogs indoors. What would that lead them to do? Re-home them?

I guess it helps dogs in a way, but the people who take good care of their outdoor dogs suffer.

 

[Starina]

I personally don't like the idea of keeping adog outside, full time. But I was born and raised in Alaska, so thereare a lot of sled dogs, that honestly, couldn't be kept inside. I keptmy dog and her 6 puppies, once they were a few weeks old, outside inthe winter, and they did just fine. (They were purebred huskies, bredfor being outside) I think that as long as the dog is comfortable, andwell cared for, there is no reason that a person couldn't keep theirdog outside full time. We didn't tie them up though, they had shelterand plenty of hay too keep them warm.



~Star~

 

[Pipp]

I agree that they're ruining a perfectly goodlaw (tethering) with extremism (penning).As worded,it will be unpopular, it's highly unlikely toeverpass,and that makes it a waste of legislation AND lobbytime.The only result will beno protectionforcontinuously chained dogs for however long it takes tore-submit it,and to make the animal activists lose even morecredibilityin the eyes of the people they're trying toinfluence. The chasm widens.

sas

 

[SweetPeasMommie]

The only thing I like about this is that it can help stop puppy mills and back yard breeding.

But like many of you said any spitz/huskies love to be out doors,including hound dogs. My dad had a beautiful malumute/wolf mix. Lovedto be out side and can not stand being in the house all day. It is likea dog feeling clausophobic(sp)

But maybe do a better law, only allow certian breeds live outside,maybe a fenced in yard to be a must with a providing shelter where theycan go in and out anytime they please.

 

[bluebird]

I think its a stupid idea.people who neglectthere pets will do it if they are inside or out.where would the moneytoo inforce it come from.they dont have the money now too inforce thelaws that are already on the books.they just pass a bunch of lawswithout money for enforcement that are worthless.do theythink the money will fall out of the sky.I think the laws we have areenough.I dont need the state too tell me how many pets i can have andwhere i can keep them.the ARAS would just love it then they can getthere foot in the door. remember they dont want us too have anypets.we have a large mix breed collie we keep outside ,shewas Dumped at our house with a litter of pups.we gave away the puppysbut the dog is high strung and destructive if left inside all day,wehave worked on her training, but i think if they pass that law she willhave too be put down because she cant be kept inside.shes a sweet dogand she was starved when we found her.bluebird

 

[ec]

OK, I took a look at some web sites to get moreinfo. on the proposed legislation and found out that there are actually2 separate provisions per tethering - it's not so muh about nottethering dogs outside as it is about doing it as humanely as possible(to my eyes, at least):

HB 1911 would, among other things, prohibit (1) tethering adog for more than 16 hours in a 24 hour period or (2) failing toensure that a dog is wearing a properly fitting collar or able to moveabout freely on a tether of at least 10 feet. A violation of anyprovision would be a summary offense punishable by up to 90 days injail and up to a $300 fine. This legislation is both a humane measureand also a crucial public safety initiative as chained or tethered dogsare 2.6 times more likely to bite than those not chained ortethered.

Everything that they're saying in the second part of the openingsentence makes sense to me - including the first part, about nottethering a dog outside for more than 16 hours per day and/or....

Also, I can see keeping dogs outdoors in humane conditions ifyou live in the country - but residential areas (whether in small townsor cities) are another thing altogether. Am also wondering if this billisn't aimed - in some respects - at the puppy mills in and aroundLancaster County (in southeastern PA). The area is notorious for itspuppy mills and little has been done to stop the practice.

Also, the proposed law is meant to stop situations like the onedescribed in this newspaper article:http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/PA_Bill.html

Of course, the problem (as with leash laws) is enforcement - as notedby several of the people interviewed. What could happen (and I'm forthis): animal control would have more leeway to intervene in cases ofabuse/hoarding. It's hard for me to believe that this law would be usedagainst people who provide good, responsible care for their dogs,including adequate "outside" time. (Personally, I wouldn't think ofkeeping a dog tied up outside for anything close to 16 hours - a run,for X number of hours a day - and a fenced-in yard - sounds much morehumane to me.)