A
chained dog’s life is a lonely, frustrating, miserable
existence, without opportunities for even the most basic dog
behaviors of running and sniffing in their own fenced yard.
Dogs chained for even a few weeks begin to show problems.
Dogs
are naturally social beings who thrive on interaction with
humans and other animals. A dog kept chained in one spot for
hours, days, months, or even years suffers immense psychological
damage. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously
chained, becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious, and most often
aggressive.
In
addition to the psychological damage wrought by continuous
chaining, dogs forced to live on a chain make easy targets
for other animals, humans, and biting insects. Chained dogs
are also easy targets for thieves looking to steal animals
for sale to research institutions or to be used as training
fodder for organized animal fights. Finally, dogs’ tethers
can become entangled with other objects, which can choke or
strangle the dogs to death.
In
many cases, the necks of chained dogs become raw and covered
with sores, the result of improperly fitted collars and the
dogs’ constant yanking and straining to escape confinement.
Dogs have even been found with collars embedded in their necks.
The Humane Society of the United States, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and numerous animal experts have deemed this
constant confinement as cruel and inhumane.
Rarely
does a chained or tethered dog receive sufficient care. Chained
dogs suffer from sporadic feedings, overturned water bowls,
inadequate veterinary care, and extreme temperatures. What’s
more, because their often neurotic behavior makes them difficult
to approach, chained dogs are rarely given even minimal affection.
Chained dogs become a part of the scenery and can be easily
ignored by their owners.
Chained
dogs are forced to urinate, defecate, sleep, and eat in a
single confined area. Most owners of chained dogs are less
likely to clean the area. Where there may have once been grass
in an area of confinement, it is usually so beaten down by
the dog’s pacing that the ground consists of nothing
but dirt or mud.
The
final word is that chaining doesn’t work - except to
serve as a form of confinement that is easy for the owner
but cruel for the animal. Chaining is not an acceptable practice.
It’s a long-overlooked form of cruelty that must be stopped.
When living chained, they are not pets - but prisoners.
If
you pass a chained dog with a sadness in your heart, please
have the courage to do something about it. Try to politely
encourage owners of chained dogs to make a change. Offer to
walk or play with the dog. Offer help in building a fenced
area. Offer a donated doggie bed and toys. Set an example
by keeping your own dog inside. If all else fails, call your
local animal control agency. If they determine that the dog
is being neglected and that the owner refuses to comply with
providing the most basic care, they can impound the animal
and possibly give it a second chance at life by adopting it
to a responsible owner.
©
2003, Alachua County Humane Society, Inc. All rights reserved
