Protestors spend time chained to the dog house
Posted on Sunday, July 1, 2007
Ross Collins spent Saturday night in the dog house, but it wasn't because he was in trouble.
"I'm chaining myself to this dog house for the next 24 hours to raise awareness that dogs should not be chained up," Collins said as he chained himself outside the Walton Art Center on Saturday morning. "Dogs are social animals and they need human contact."
Collins, along with coworker Susan Morgan, was one of 164 people in 34 states to participate in the fifth annual "Chain Off "sponsored by Dogs Deserve Better. The event is hosted annually across the country to raise awareness. The slogan for the 2007 event - "Unchain the 50 " - aimed at getting at least one person from all 50 states to spend between eight and 24 hours chained to a dog house.
"Everyone seems pretty interested in what we're doing," Collins said. "They're surprised at a lot of the things they lear."
Dogs Deserve Better is a nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing chained dogs and bringing them inside. Through its education and legislative efforts, the group helps rescue and shelter needy chained and penned dogs. "They have resources to help with house training and to provide low cost fencing," Collins said. Through their work at the Fayetteville Animal Shelter, Collins and Morgan have seen the effects of chaining first-hand. "A lot of people think they're doing the right thing by leaving their dog outside on a chain," Collins said. "But here in Fayetteville, we've found dogs tied up dead on chains. We've also seen dogs that are emaciated and vicious. "Because chained dogs are territorial, Collins said they are two-and-ahalf times more likely to become vicious. "When they're out there alone, all day, they become unsocialized," Collins said. "Not only are they more likely to attack someone, they're also prone to being attacked by other animals. "According to the Dogs Deserve Better Web site, at least 143 children across the country have been killed or seriously injured by chained dogs since 2003.
In addition to psychological damage, Collins said, dogs kept chained in one spot for hours, days, months or even years at a time, also suffer physical damage. In many cases, the necks of chained dogs become raw and covered with sores due to improperly fitted collars and the dogs' constant yanking and straining to escape confinement.
"If you don't have a yard and you have to leave your dog at home all day, I think crate training is a good alternative," Collins said. "It forces people to interact with their dogs by letting them out every few hours. Plus, it prevents them from tearing anything up."
Collins said dogs kept on chains rarely receive proper attention. Tethered dogs, he said, often suffer from sporadic feedings, overturned water bowls, inadequate veterinary care and extreme temperatures.
The Human Society of the United States recommends that dogs be kept indoors at night, taken on regular walks and otherwise provided with adequate attention, food, water, and veterinary care. If an animal must be housed outside at certain times, the dog should be placed in a suitable pen with adequate square footage and shelter from the elements.
For more information, visit www. dogsdeservebetter. com.
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