Posted on 09/27/2016 2:04:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Animal abuse is a growing problem and one city councilman is doing what he can to fight it.
Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Smitherman has proposed legislation making it illegal to keep dogs chained when it’s above 90 degrees outside, or below 20 degrees if they do not have proper shelter.
The proposal also includes not chaining dogs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to help cut down on barking.
Dog owners who violate the new law will face a hefty fine.
“We are going to educate people that tethering your dog and keeping their dog out as we go into the winter in a little igloo without a lot of warmth is just not acceptable,” Smitherman told Fox19.
Here in Oklahoma, we have no laws on the books requiring dog owners to unchain or bring their pets inside based on certain temperatures.
The only legislation we have requires owners to provide their dogs water and a waterproof and wind-proof three-sided shelter.
Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Superintendent Jon Gary tells NewsChannel 4, “Being on a chain is a much bigger issue to me. Chaining a dog can lead to all sorts of problems, including behavioral issues.”
Except huskies in cold temps...those dogs LOVE cold weather!
What if they are on a cable? In a fenced yard? Contained by
Invisible Fence?
Fiddle. I know of outside dogs and cats in North Dakota.
The ordinance addresses the city people who have no respect for their dogs and simply keep them chained outdoors. What is the purpose of having a dog if that's how you are going to treat them?
If you want to bring up the issue of hunting dogs, then I would offer that any legitimate hunter who loves his dogs will provide them shelter in a pen without chaining them in a yard........
Many pet owners are simply too dumb to properly care for their animals. I’ve seen dopey dog owners standing around chatting with someone on hot pavement while their dog is obviously in distress. When I mention it to them they get angry or insulted. They apparently are too dumb to realize that, unlike themselves with shoes and socks on their feet, the dog’s paws are in direct contact with the hot pavement.
Well, surely if they get this one more little intrusion into our freedom, they will leave us alone after that...
Will the city be jailing people if they do not change oil in the cars? “Irresponsible” vehicular ownership.
Sure, put more restrictions on property. How about no fat people of horses, leaving cattle out in the sun with no shade. Drivel.
Agreed.
I know this from extensive experience. Those animals are better off being put down.
Given that they are kept properly fed and watered.
I think everyone would agree that it should be unlawful to keep a dog locked in a hot car, especially with the windows up.
I normally don’t care about stuff like this, but there was one guy who would chain up his dog outside the cafe across the street from me every morning around 7 AM. The dog would proceed to bark non-stop for 30 minutes until the guy was finished with his coffee. It was infuriating, since I didn’t need to wake up until 8 to get to work.
I think eventually the cafe owner told him to stop bringing his dog, but it went on like that for months, every single morning.
True.
Chaining a dog is to be avoided, according to my vet-it causes behavior problems-like becoming overly territorial, attacking, biting, etc-also it is not safe for the dog-there are coyotes and mountain lions out here who love pet takeout. Even livestock here is treated better than that...
Speaking of Huskies-I got mine from a sled dog kennel near the Canadian border-even living in the country with a 7ft fence around the property, we learned to never leave her out alone-Huskies get bored and want to go running, and are escape artists-after finding her a couple of miles away several times, I became her escort-that resulted in 17 winters with me sitting on a rock late at night in 20 windy degrees, freezing my ass off while my Husky joyfully romped in snow/cold or sat by me howling back at coyotes...
The phrase “We are going to educate people...” is a danger sign. I’m a dog-lover and lifelong dog owner, but does this really need to be legislated? Most dog owners are kind to their pets. Those who are not are generally addressed by “anti-cruelty” or “animal neglect” statutes.
The type of situations described could be addressed by a visit from the Humane Society or the police if necessary. That will fix 99% of cases. For the remaining few idiots who leave their dogs chained in the heat, etc, usually animal cruelty statutes are broad enough to allow the pet to be taken away.
It’s stupid to create a law specifying actual temps and weather conditions. What if someone chains their dog all day alone in 79 degrees? No violation. Where is the common sense?
This is pretty funny. Where does our constitution put our animals rights above our rights to manage our property as we see fit?
I just don’t see how this is the government’s business, unless I’m damaging someone else’s property (i.e. their animals).
I’m not condoning cruelty to animals, but it’s none of the government’s business. Regarding my neighbor’s animals, it’s a textbook case of “Not my circus. Not my monkeys.” Conservatives don’t meddle.
What if they’re in a house and with a mouse?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.