Tethering pets has long been a hot-button issue for animal welfare advocates. Several states and myriad municipalities have outlawed this practice in which dogs are chained to stakes or otherwise tethered to a fixed location out of doors.
Given that constant tethering has been shown to be physically and psychologically damaging (far more so than crating, penning or connected to an overhead line), the issue has come before Miami-Dade's Public Health and Safety Committee via the county's Animal Services department.
Chained dogs are at risk for a variety of reasons: They strain at their collars, often resulting in neck wounds; they can be exposed to heat; and are subject to the risk of attack by other dogs.
Dogs are social animals for whom the isolation inherent to constant tethering is psychologically damaging. Indeed, dogs thus abused have been shown to be 2.8 times more likely to bite than the average dog.
In 1996, the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated, ''Our experience in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act has led us to conclude that continuous confinement of dogs by a tether is inhumane.'' In 2003, the American Veterinary Medical Association said, ``Never tether or chain your dog because this can contribute to aggressive behavior.''
A petition is being circulated by animal welfare groups in Miami-Dade to promote an anti-tethering ordinance. Fort Lauderdale already has such an ordinance. If you have an interest in signing one or otherwise contributing your voice to this cause, send e-mail to Protect Children & Dogs in Miami-Dade at pcmiamidade@bellsouth.net or call 305-282-3527.
