“Break the Chain” Lee County Animal Services Warns About the Dangers of Chaining Dogs

Fort Myers, Florida, 9/21/04—Imagine weeks, months and even years of confinement in a 6 ft. area that is hot, dirty, surrounded by parasites and flies, and filled with the stench of feces and urine. You are given little food. Water, when available, is often outside your reach. Such extreme conditions are not tolerated in our nation’s prisons yet they are a common occurrence for many dogs whose owners have banished them to life “chained out” in the yard.

Besides the deplorable living conditions, these dogs are deprived of companionship. Dogs, by nature thrive on interactions with humans. When animal control officers ask owners why they chain dogs, common answers include, “I’m keeping him chained until he learns not to run away,” or ”I’m keeping him chained until he’s housebroken,” or “I’m keeping him chained until he calms down.” However, the chained dog suffers immense psychological damage that only reinforces the behavior that most likely resulted in his owner’s decision to keep him chained outdoors in the first place. Dogs with little or no humane contact become more destructive, more hyperactive, and more anxious to escape.

The list of hazards also extends to humans. The Humane Society of the United States agrees that dogs tethered for long periods can become highly aggressive. They naturally feel very protective of their territory since they cannot escape. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that 17% of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans were restrained on their owners’ property at the time of the attack. Tragically, children are often the victims.

Lee County Animal Services concurs with dog training experts that training dogs is the only way to solve problem behavior and the most humane solution for the animal. “It’s a win/win situation,” says Scott Trebatoski, Lee County Animal Services Director. “Dogs that receive training become valued, loving members of the family while untrained dogs are frequently brought to the shelter or chained out in the back yard.”

Additional information on proper confinement for pets is available on Animal Services’ website at www.LeeLostPets.com. To view actual case photos from Lee County Animal Services related to chained dogs go to www.Lee-county.com/animalservices/breakthechain.htm.

Lee County Animal Services provides animal control services throughout Lee County and operates an animal shelter to house stray and abandoned domestic animals. It also administers low-cost spay/neuter programs, educational initiatives, and rabies and bite case control programs. The shelter is located off Six Mile Cypress Parkway next to the Lee County Sheriff’s Dept. For more information call 432-2083. Pictures of pets available for adoption may be viewed online at www.LeeLostPets.com.