To tether or not to tether?!

Mid Florida family & friends,

There is a very important meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd, at the County Center Building, 2nd Floor, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida at 6:30pm. The fourth Wednesday of the every month the Animal Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from each Commissioner’s office, and representatives from the Humane Society and the Hillsborough County Veterinarian Association meets to discuss issues related to Hillsborough County Animal Services and makes recommendations for voting by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

One particular issue on the agenda this Wednesday is tethering. There is a strong movement across our country right now to ban, limit or in some fashion restrict the tethering of a dog. Without a doubt we have seen the pictures of dogs tethered on a 2’-3’ chain, tangle around something or in some fashion twisted to the point the dog is unable to move at all; without access to water or shade. We’ve also seen the pictures of the dogs chained (tethered) with no daily attention and suffering the effects of an embedded collar that must be surgically removed. And, we’ve all heard the statistics ‘supporting’ (?) the fact tethered dogs are more likely to bite because of lack of socialization and interaction with people. There are some very compelling,……stories, if you will, that support the movement to make changes in tethering ordinances all across the country.

If you are a dog owner I encourage you to make every effort to attend this very important meeting. We all have our personal opinions and ideas of what is right or wrong about tethering. This email is my personal thoughts and feelings and do not necessarily represent Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association has a whole. As you decide for yourself what is right or wrong with this issue I’d like to humbly ask that you consider some very important facts.

1) The scenario I mentioned above, tangle inadequate tether preventing movement of the dog, embedded collars and the like, are acts of animal neglect and animal abuse. Hillsborough County Animal Services currently has very satisfactory and effective ordinances that deal with animal neglect and animal abuse. If you haven’t made yourself familiar with ordinances related to pet ownership, or if you feel I’m pulling this one out of my hat with nothing to substantiate the statement then take a moment to go read the ordinance yourself. They are quite good and more than sufficient.

So stop and think about this before agreeing with a ban or restrictions or limitations to tethering. An individual who is capable of animal neglect or animal abuse in their own yard isn’t going to think twice about bringing this animal in their home, stuffing them in an airline crate in the back bedroom of their home to neglect and abuse out of sight of others. At the very least if the dog is kept outside it has a chance of someone seeing these deplorable conditions and making a report on behalf of the animal.

If you really want to be part of the solution plant yourself in the courtroom for hearings on animal neglect and abuse cases….let our judges know it is time for those who do the crime to do the time….Please peruse Section 8 and related definitions at the link below. http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices/ordinance/

2) My personal pet-peeve, no pun intended, is the misnomer that EVERY tethered dog is a castaway relegated to the back yard never to be played with, loved on, provided for, or brought into the home at any time to be a part of the family. This, my friend, is the propaganda of extremist animal rights groups such as PETA and the HSUS…...organizations that would like to prevent us from owning any type of pet ALTOGETHER.

Are there dogs that have been tossed out in the backyard and ignored from that point on? Yes, and that is precisely why there are ordinances (see point #1) that deals with this type of NEGLECT and ABUSE. To take this one step further does this happen frequently enough to drive this mindset home as a staunch and factual stereotype of the tethered dog? No.

3) Not every dog is suitable, nor happy, to lie on the couch all day while their master is at work. A very high drive, high performance dog would most likely be happier in a contained area outside whereby they can move about, seeing the sites of wildlife in the trees and smell the aroma of the fresh outdoors, intermittently stretching out to bask in the warmth of the early morning or late afternoon sun and curling up for an afternoon nap in the shade and comfort of a doghouse.

So you feel if someone can afford to own a dog they should also be able to afford to fence their yard or build a kennel. Seriously, you are not really going to force me to throw my two-cents in on this one are you? A fence, be it a chain link or six foot privacy fence is not capable of containing some dogs. Be it a big dog or a small dog, if the dog wants out they can be athletic and ingenious enough to go over or under. Thus we have a dog at large. Furthermore there are some homeowner associations that prohibit fences and kennels all together. What are those individuals to do who own dogs that may not be suitable or content to lie on the couch all day and possibly too strong to be contained indoors in a crate or wire kennel for the day? Should those individuals just relinquish their pet to animal services to be killed rather than allowing tethering as a possible tool/option?

4) Dog bite statistics…tethered intact males are 2.8 times more likely to bite. There are no consistent, complete or correct accounting of bites in the US. What reports or documents currently available or recommended for review are predisposed; see item #2 on animal rights propaganda. Until such time we can compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges IN A CONSISTANT MANNER these types of statistics should be rendered useless.

5) A tethered dog becomes more territorial, possessive of his space and frustrated at the lack of interaction with his human pack therefore more inclined to become human aggressive. HOGWASH. If you believe this you have bought into the negative stereotype created by animal rights groups. See item #2….again.

Are there vicious dogs on chains or tethers that will bite if you enter their space? You bet there are! Dog behavior such as this isn’t caused by a tether. It is intentionally created by their owners, criminals for the most part, that have made them react this way! If you don’t believe me search the court records of Pinellas County for Joseph Bethune, Jr., the owner of the tethered pit bull (in a county where tethering is prohibited by the way!) that broke away and bit the face of a female visitor walking at the side of the house. Five months earlier at the same address a narcotics officer shot and killed a charging pit bull. Again, these are not tethering issues….these are criminal issues that involve innocent dogs.

6) So, you say tethering itself is ok if we place restrictions such as tether length, diameter of tether, the weight of the tether, or even how long a dog is permitted to be tethered each day. So let us explore this in more detail.

Length of tether – A dog in a 10’ X 10’ kennel has 100 feet of ‘play room.’ A dog on a 10’ tether has 360 feet of ‘play room.’ A dog on a 20’ tether has 1256 feet of ‘play room.’ The tether does in fact enable 360 degrees of free roaming verses the restrictions and the frustration that comes with kennel walls. Which do you think would make the dog happier?

Diameter of tether – Several tether ordinances I have read refer to a ¼ inch diameter limit on chain tethers. This sounds reasonable in an effort to help eliminate the heavy logging chains seen on some dogs. I decided to explore this in a little more depth and found listed on the National Association of Chain Manufacturers that there are 11 different types of chains (Grade 30 Proof Coil Chain, Grade 43 High Test Chain, Grade 70 Transport Chain, Grade 80 Alloy Chain, Grade 100 Alloy Chain, Machine Chain-Twist Link, Machine Chain-Straight Link, Coil Chain-Twist Link, Coil Chain-Straight Link, Passing Link Chain, and Stainless Steel Chain) that include a nominal chain size ¼ inch, all of which withstand different working load limits. And, beyond that there is a 53 page Federal Specification on Chains and Attachments, Welded and Weldless that was created in 1986 and amended in 1990 that must also be strictly adhered to. Sounds like a very slippery slide we may be venturing on to.

Weight of the tether –The new catch-phrase in tether ordinances is that the tether be no greater than 1/8th of the body weight of the dog. Any American Pit Bull Terrier is capable of pulling anywhere between 100-120 percent of its body weight. These figures are substantiated all across our country in sanctioned weight pull competitions. So say my dog weighs 50 pounds which means he is strong enough to pull 5000 pounds and I need a chain at least 10 feet in length not weighing over, um, 50 divided by 8 = 2.65….a grand total of 2.65 pounds in weight but must withstand a working load of 5000 pounds and the links can’t be larger than ¼ inch! Now would that be the Grade 30 coil, Grade 43 high, Grade 70 transport, Grade 80 alloy, a twist link or a straight link….hell, I’m just gonna surrender my big brown dog to the animal services for them to deal with since they created this mess and go get myself a damn lap dog!

7) Now we are down to one of my last points, but certainly and absolutely without a doubt, not the least of all points to be made. Our personal rights as a pet owner. What about the rights of the animal you ask? Well, I see it like this, and so does an immense group of additional people I might add. My dog(s) are my PROPERTY. I bought them with my own hard-earned money. I have a responsibility to these dogs to provide nourishment, love, medical care, training, socialization and such to my dog(s). If I do not, for any reason, responsibly provide and care from my dog(s) please re-read #1 above….we are back to neglect and abuse which is already covered! Have absolutely no doubts about it, until such time that my dog(s) can provide food, medicine, necessities and clean up after themselves, all RIGHTS belong to me, the owner. Freedom is what our country was founded on.

Hillsborough County Animal Services barely has the budget to keep its doors open now, and keep Animal Control Officers on the road at the same time. Dog owners have already paid a price as the cost of licenses and fees have increased in an effort to keep Animal Control Officers employed and on the road doing the incredible job that they do here in this county. Committees, sub-committees and citizens are working tirelessly to increase licensing compliance; again in an effort to cover budget deficits as they are now and projected into the future. How possibly could this agency find the means to tackle any of the additional and ludicrous changes in our tethering ordinance?

So, let’s stop and ask ourselves who knows best how to contain their pet than the actual owner himself? No one. This is better left to the discretion of responsible dog owners. Anything other than responsible is covered already under neglect and abuse.

Is there truly a humane manner in which to tether a dog? Of course there is. A medium length is probably around 10 feet and of suitable weight for the dog’s size and the dog’s strength. A small airplane tie down works well as an anchor and the chain should be attached by a swivel. The dog should be wearing a flat buckle collar and again attached to the tether/chain with a swivel and “O” ring. Swivels at each end will prevent tangles and loss of mobility by the dog. Collars should be secure enough that the dog cannot “back out of it” yet obviously not so tight as to cause discomfort or damage. ALL EQUIPMENT IS TO BE CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS….including the fit of the collar. A tether set-up is to include a dog house appropriate for the climate and proper shade. A misting hose, out of reach and set on a timer isn’t a bad idea for the summers either. Adequate sized water bowls or buckets need to be secured in a fashion that prevents being tipped or knocked over and cleaned and refreshed each and every day. Dirt or grass is preferable to the tethered area being concrete so long as the dog has access to dry ground. On either foundation cleanliness is of the utmost importance to the health and wellbeing of your dog. As well, humane tethering includes time-off the tether; time spent between dog and owner walking, playing, training, conditioning and above everything else a two-way of unconditional love.

So, please do not forget there is that very important meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd, at the County Center Building, 2nd Floor, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida at 6:30 pm. On behalf of all responsible dog owners I encourage you to attend and make public comment if you will on any of these talking points.

Thanks, friends.