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Dogs Deserve Better strongly encourages all of you reading this today to make it happen! Get laws in your city, county, state or country against the chaining and penning of dogs for life.The longer we work the issue of chaining and penning dogs the more we realize we need laws to protect them. Many letters fall on deaf ears, and even person to person contact often results in dead ends. Working via education alone is not the fastest route. Education combined with legislation is the answer.
"As a lobbyist for more than a decade, I've learned important lessons. First, most legislators' votes about animals are unknown by the vast majority of their constituents who care, leaving opponents of humane laws in control. Second, state policies allow institutional and legal forms of animal abuse, because our legislators and policymakers have not been held accountable for their actions by an informed constituency. Third, inhumane laws and policies do not reflect the views of the majority, but rather those of anti-animal minorities with a strong local or national presence. Fourth, this will not change until animal advocates voice their feelings to the legislators and let them know they will be held accountable in the voting booth." Julie recently lobbied for and got the first state law prohibiting continuous chaining of dogs in Connecticut. Julie will come to your organization or community for a training seminar, visit her site at www.nifaa.org.
Citizens in communities throughout the U.S. have stood and changed laws already. We welcome input/articles from anyone instrumental in changing chained dog laws. Please e-mail your article to info@dogsdeservebetter.org. Click here to see which states are working on anti-chaining legislation We all need to pitch in to help get laws passed! Please send this letter to your local and state representatives and senators. There is also a letter to the editor in .doc format. Letter for Legislation in .pdf format Letter for Legislation in .doc format Letter to the Editor in .doc format Below are a couple of sites where you can find out the name and address of your state and local reps. Also, Congress.org allows you to send e-mails to them too. Congress.org Heather Carpenter, Orlando Florida Dogs Deserve Better rep, has compiled a basic 'to-do' list for changing laws: 1) SELECT AN ISSUE. Like chaining of dogs!! 2) EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE ISSUE. You should be well informed on the issues surrounding your cause, and not just from a cruelty aspect. Government officials are concerned about public safety, public health, and of course animal welfare. 3) RESEARCH YOUR COUNTY'S CURRENT LAWS. They may have some aspect of a tethering ordinance in place. If not, they may have an ordinance regarding the confinement of animals. Tethering could be added onto this already existing ordinance. Remember that http://www.municode.com is a good resource to look up your county's ordinances, if they're on-line. Its really easy to use. If your county does not have on-line codes, go to your local library or clerk of court for a copy of the local ordinances. 4)
FIND A MODEL ORDINANCE. See our Model
Laws page for the best laws to model yours on. The
Helping Animals website, as well as Unchainyourdog.org,
have the ordinances from other counties listed. Your commissioners
want to see what's going on in other communities and probably write
their ordinances based on one already existing. The original six
communities all enforce the law, as well. 6) KNOW YOUR OPPOSITION. Its important to think about the type of people or groups that may oppose your ordinance. Know their arguments and be ready to counter. These might be hunters or low end breeders, or if you live in Alaska or the cold climates, sled dog groups. These people have large packs of dogs and frequently keep them chained. They are a working animal to them, not a companion. 7)
INTRODUCE YOUR ORDINANCE. Find the local commissioner who has
either supported animal friendly laws or introduced animal friendly
laws previously. You can also go to YOUR local commissioner. If
your's is not interested, go to the next one. Find someone to "sponsor"
your ordinance. 9) PUBLIC HEARING. Once the ordinance is introduced, a public hearing is frequently held. Arrange for speakers on your behalf from different areas, such as animal control, cruelty investigators, dog bite victims, or a dog trainer or animal behaviorist. If there is not a public hearing, just a vote, get as many people as possible to speak. 10) THE VOTE. When you know the commissioners are going to be voting, get as many phone calls, faxes, letters, emails to go to them as possible. Make sure they know the majority of the public wants this. Enacting legislation takes a long time, maybe even years, but its worth it. Even if you lose, the public will be better educated and you can try again. Heather Carpenter, Orlando, FL Dogs Deserve Better Rep More Advice on How to Get Laws Form
a Coalition Tips
on How to Go About Changing Laws for Chained Dogs Tips
from Gloria Zaiger, St. Paul, Minnesota Suggested
Items forYour Chained Dog Legislaton Packet The facts about Chained Dogs from HSUS Brochures from Dogs Deserve Better Photos and/or video of local chained dogs Signed
petitions from local voters How Tethering Limits Affect the Number of Loose Dogs, Dog Bites, Dogs Given Up, and Dogs Killed at Shelters: A Report on Ten Communities New Richmond, OH Tethering Ordinance & Supporting Documents (03/08) City Steps up Enforcement of Animal Laws (KY) Laws Against Animal Cruelty in Austria Communities
who have laws Your proposal, modelled after a successful law in existence elsewhere
A success story in support of a no-tethering ordinance (Macon, GA 2008) Breed Bans Hit Court Opposition; Anti-tethering Laws Gain Favor Bloomington sets limits on tying dogs "Chaining: Cruel, Unnecessary, and Too Often Overlooked" Center for Disease Control Study Do You Know How it Feels to Lose Your Only Toy? Dog-tethering Bill Tied Up in State House (PA) Dog's Need Time Off the Chain to Learn Good Behavior Enforcement
of Anti-Tethering Laws: Good Article about Children and Dogs How Chaining Laws Help the Environment How Far Some People Will Go to Stop Laws "Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health" Tethered Dogs Focus of PA Bill UnchainyourDog.org has some recent News Files Why Reasonable Anti-Tethering Legislation Works What Happens When Existing Laws Fail Dogs Deserve Better is a 501c3 nonprofit education/legislation/rescue organization. |
Julie
Lewin, President of Animal Advocacy Connecticut and founder of National
Institute for Animal Advocacy:
Get your Copy of The Witness today!
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Contact
Info: Dogs
Deserve Better, Inc. • P.O.
Box 23 • Tipton, PA 16684
• Toll Free 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447 |
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