I would like to know why? 

Why is your dog penned or chained? 

I would LOVE to know how this unfolded.  You’re sitting around one day, having a beer and you think to yourself, you know, I could really use a dog.  Perhaps you think how great it would be to have a buddy to play fetch with, or you want to show off what a good huntin’ dog you got, or maybe you need a guard dog to guard your meth lab…whatever the reason, you make this decision, then set about getting yourself a dawg, by god. 

You find one that is just perfect for you….a pit bull or rottweiler - you don’t want your friends to think you’re a sissy or anything, so you have to have a man’s dog.  So you finally locate a backyard breeder and you find out you can get that really great pitt bull for only 500 bucks, so you scrimp and save and sell some meth - whatever you have to do to make your dream a reality and eventually Killer the pitt bull is yours.  So what do you do with Killer? 

Why, you take him straight out to the backyard and chain him up and forget him.  After all, he’s too much trouble.  He runs off when you let him loose.  He barks all the time.  He’s not house trained and besides, you ain’t lettin’ no dawg in your house, dawgs is meant to be outside animals, right?  Also, you’re good to Killer.  You drag your butt out of bed every morning before 11am and dump some Ol’ Roy in his dish and maybe some scraps from last night.  You get upset because every time you go into his ‘area’ he jumps all over you, scratching you and licking all over you.  He won’t just sit down and be still while you fill his dish, blast it all!

So what do you do? You fill his dish, then ignore him as much as possible.  You’ve found an ingenious way to give him water, so that you never have to enter his little pen or within his chain length.  You just sit on a lawn chair and spray the water hose in his general direction.  Now if you can come up with a way to feed him without getting your best worn out jeans all dirty and muddy from his paws, you’ll be set for life. 

What I’ve written above is a silly exaggeration of how some people may come to have these dogs, but my commentary is very serious.  Why do you have a dog that you have nothing to do with?  Why have a dog chained in your yard or penned up when you don’t play with him, exercise him, teach him or just spend time with him? 

I see dogs chained every day on my drive to and from work and it just makes me sick to think of all these dogs.  No matter what time of day I drive by, I NEVER see anyone out playing with the dog or having anything to do with him. 

If you don’t want to spend time with a dog, then WHY did you get one to begin with?????  Common sense should prevail at some point and you should say, I really don’t want to fool with a dog, so I’m not going to get one. 

Don’t use children as excuses either.  Little Bubba just begged and begged until we got him a dog and now he doesn’t feed him or take care of him and we have to do it.  We never wanted the dog, we only got it for little Bubba.  So DON’T GET LITTLE BUBBA THE DOG!!  Come on, I’m a parent too.  I know that my kids won’t take care of a dog or a cat so I don’t get them one.  Again, common sense. 

Seriously, stop chaining your dog in the backyard or putting them in a little pen and ignoring them.  They have feelings too and they need and desire companionship.  They are pack animals and to thrive, they need to be around their ‘pack’.  If you have taken on the responsibility of a dog, then YOU are his pack. 

Not only are you harming your dog and being cruel, but you are making a very dangerous situation for those who live around you.  Dogs become very territorial when they are confined to only a small area.  They can become extremely aggressive to anyone who intrudes into their territory.  There are way too many stories about children being mauled or killed by someones chained up dogs.  It’s not the dog’s fault.  I’m sorry if that offends you.  It’s the owner’s fault.  In my opinion, they should be up on murder charges if their dog kills someone. 

If you want information about how to transition your dog from a chained or penned dog to a member of your family, as he should be, then you can go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com .  You will find information there and someone will help you.  They can even help you to fence in your property if you agree to bring your dog inside to live with your family.  The fence is not for keeping your dog in outside, but to give your dog a large space to run and play in when you take him outside for exercise. 

Okay, now I’ve gotten that off my chest I feel better.  I am officially stepping off my soapbox now.  Thank you for reading.  :)

As long as it is not illegal, shouldn’t be a problem and none of your business.  Come on my property to try to instruct me how to care and feed my animals and see who gets “penned” up for trespassing.  If the animal is being fed properly and not being abused what’s the problem.  I do agree with the first post that if it is penned up, it should not be chained as well.

To Roadchamp,

I don’t go to people’s houses and instruct them on how to care for their animals.  So there’s no need to threaten to ‘pen’ me up. 

Quite frankly, penning or chaining an animal in a yard and leaving them alone for most of their lives is cruel, I don’t care who you are.  If you are doing it, then you are being cruel to your animal.  Just because it’s not against the law to chain or pen an animal outside doesn’t make it morally acceptable.  There are many things that are legally acceptable that are not morally acceptable. 

People around here have such a cavalier attitude toward caring for their animals. 

My point is that if a person does not want to spend time caring for, feeding, playing with and interacting with a dog, then why on earth do they have one at all? 

My neighbors have around 8 dogs chained in their yard.  The only time those dogs see their people is during feeding time.  No one goes out to play with them.  No one pays any attention to them whatsoever except to yell at them out the back door when they get to barking. 

Maybe this is acceptable to you, but it is not to me.  Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do about it, but I can express my opinion about it and hope that someone will recognize that this is, indeed, animal cruelty despite what the law says and will decide to bring their pet into the home to be a part of the family.

First, I do not want you to take what I wrote as a “threat”.  Just expressing my rights to ensure you stay on the right side of the fence (no pun intended) and off my property or I do have the right to charge you for trespassing. I do nothing wrong with my animals and feed/water them regulary. I play and exercise them when I can, but thanks to todays economics, I work more hours and two other jobs to make ends meet. Not only are they suffering from my companionship but so is my family, which, I admit, is more important to me.  I guess I could take them to animal control and get rid of them or have them put down, because they will not answer to anyone else but me and my family, but I have become quite partial to them. They also do a service for me by making sure my property is secure when I am gone.  Doesn’t help me to have them in the house and have all my outside possessions stolen, does it. And if I let them run loose, then I get a summons from the law and possibly taken from me as well, especially if they bite someone during the protection of my property.  You need to look at both side of an issue and you are taking a radical stance on what you observed your neighbors doing with their dogs. Well, not everyone is like that. Todays economics are forcing animal owners to make harder choices as to getting animals, keeping animals and also spending time with them. Sometimes situations prevent activities from taking place.  My dogs will never be house dogs.  I am so glad you can not do anything about it because this is one person that does not deserve the rhetoric your spouting

I guess it’s a good thing that I wouldn’t be coming onto your property, then, I suppose.  Like I said, I don’t go on other people’s property at all and tell them how to care for their animals. 

I do understand that the economy is making it harder and harder for people to do anything other than work.  We’re all working longer hours as a result and your family should come first.  I am not, in any way, advocating that you should care for your animals OVER your family.

Yes, I am taking a controversial stand, but I don’t consider it a radical stand at all.  I am against chaining or penning dogs for the duration of their lives.  I don’t think that’s radical.  PETA is radical.  All I’m saying is please don’t chain or pen dogs outside. 

After all, you wouldn’t want to be penned or chained outside all day every day would you?  Dogs need interaction and it doesn’t matter to them whether you have the time to devote to them or not. They are pack animals and they need to have their pack with them, interacting with them. 

You say that your dogs won’t answer to anyone but you or your family….I say that if given a chance, they could be taught to answer to other people.  If you mean that they are aggressive to others, then you are creating a VERY dangerous situation for those who live near you. 

As for them protecting your property - that can’t be the case if they are on a chain or penned up.  If a person wanted to get into your house or onto your property to steal or hurt someone, there is nothing a penned or chained dog could do about it.  It would be incredibly easy to neutralize a dog in that situation.  If I were breaking into your home through a window or something, however, and I heard a dog on the INSIDE barking and growling, I can guarantee that I would definitely NOT proceed on and I doubt any other thieves or axe murderers or whatever else would, either.  Besides, what could you possibly have on the outside of your property that is so valuable that you need dogs to protect it?  Your lawn furniture?  Come on, I don’t buy that. 

You don’t have to turn the dogs over to a shelter or animal control.  You could call the Humane Society and surely someone would be willing to help you get the dogs adopted to good families that would have plenty of time to devote to them and would be willing to take them into their homes. 

Look, I’m not saying you need to get rid of your dogs, necessarily, and even if I were, it doesn’t matter at all…you certainly don’t have to do anything I suggest. 
The bottom line is this: I’m truly sorry that you find you don’t have much time to spend with your family and with your dogs. I agree that your family comes first.  Therefore, instead of keeping your dogs and sentencing them to a lonely existence in which they are unable to be with you as much as they want and need to be, maybe you should consider finding them a good home.

All I am saying is it is my right to pen my dogs up. Take care of yourself and don’t worry about the small stuff.  I guess the vehicles that my wife and I use to go to and from work to make a living could be considered lawn furniture as well as equipment I keep in a storage shed, etc.  Dogs offer better protection if they are seen and making noise than locked up in a home where no one hears except for the criminal.  I know of at least two instances where the criminal broke into the home, immediately killed the dogs and stole the owners blind. No muss, no fuss.  It makes it easier for the crook because he knows how many and where they are in the home.  Easy targets.  The noise from my dogs alone would bring the air national guard.  I would never turn them over to the Humane Society.  From what I understand, they mistreat animals just as badly as the animal control. I have heard too many stories about what they do to poor animals when they don’t cooperate and can’t be given to a home. So that’s not an option.

It seems to me that it does not matter what I say, you and Audrey will have a likewise negative comment to make. If someone is opposite of you, lets attack them, seems to be the order of the day for you.  I, like others in many of the other blogs, just want to put my two cents worth in, but because it is contrary to your views, my are absolutely wrong.  Talk about odd claims, you blast the Animal Control for the county and towns then encourage people to call them to report abuse of animals. Isn’t that going against what you believe.  There is no consistency in any of your claims either Mr. Witt.  I made one comment and then get jumped on by both of you.  Why not leave the comment as it was without your personal attacks.

Roadchamp,

I don’t know who you’ve been listening to about the Humane Society - but I can assure you that you haven’t heard anything truthful if that’s what you’ve been hearing. 

I am a member of the HS of Wythe County and I can assure you that there is not a person that I know within the society that would ever hurt or mistreat any dog that came into our care. 

Maybe you’re thinking of the animal shelter - I don’t know.  If an owner surrenders an animal at the shelter, then yes that animal can be euthanized immediately, although they are normally not.  I know that they make some attempt to get the dog adopted before they euthanize.  Unfortunately, there are more dogs euthanized than there ever should be despite the best efforts of the Humane Society and other rescue groups. 

I guess you and I will just have to agree to disagree.  I, personally, think there is no excuse for keeping an animal chained or penned in small outdoor enclosures for their lives.  There are many states that are implementing anti-chaining laws and I hope that Virginia will soon do the same. 

John,
Thank you for your words of support.  You do so much for dogs in your efforts for the HS and transporting animals and such.  It’s good that there are people like you who are willing to make an effort on an animal’s behalf.

I guess your right Audrey, we will have to agree to disagree. I personally don’t think it is anybody’s business but mine as long as I don’t abuse or mistreat my animals. I hope VA does not pass such a ridiculous law. It would force me to turn my animals over to the Animal Control because I will not see them in the hands of HS and they are at the stage they they will never be house dogs. Not from what I heard. I know some of the animal control officers and they have a very hard job. I don’t think they like to euthanize the animals but it is their job or their would be animals sucking whatever resources are available to the ones that could be adopted. I have been at their shelter plenty and have never seen any of the animals mistreated.  I have seen some brought in in deplorable conditions, but that is not the fault of the shelter.

I do thank you for your comments because it has helped me determine that my views are valid and that radicals(yes, you are) like you do need to be called on your comments from time to time.  You are speaking for yourself, not everyone.

JOHN, I like good healthy debate and what is debate without having people that disagree on certain issues and wish to have their views heard. You have certainly monopolized that forum to your advantage to the point that I bypass the obvious blogs you have presented on here.  With the girl that lost her cat, I just felt that she would be better served to get another one, apparently there are plenty to be had. She needed to move on. I never heard yet as to what she planned to do to her family for dropping the cat off or how long it has been gone.  If it was gone a short time then yes, there is a possibility of finding it, but if it has been several months or even a year, I think that even you would have to agree the chances of that happening are slim. Yes, I defended the convicted animal neglector, he was found guilty by a court of law and suspended sentence. I don’t care for what he did, because I do love animals but it was time to move on, but you wanted to bury him further and felt it was unfair to him and what his family is going through.  Because of the conviction it will be so hard for him to get employment, it will definetly hurt his business if he continues to breed dogs, and we will have someone else on our already strained welfare system, but that wasn’t good enough for you, let’s hang him by his thumbs until he dies.  Where is your compassion for man. I am sure the dogs get a good share of it.  I believe the bible says something about “live and let live” (not sure, not much on the bible).  LIke I have did before, I choose to ignore you as well.

bye John.

“I personally don’t think it is anybody’s business but mine as long as I don’t abuse or mistreat my animals.“

And that, my friend, is the crux of our disagreement. 

In your view you are not abusing or mistreating your animals.  But you and I define “abuse” and “mistreat” very differently. 

I can infer that you believe that to abuse your dogs would be for you to physically beat or hit them or cause them physical pain or injury.  I believe that you can abuse an animal in other ways.  You can ignore them, you can chain them with barely enough room to turn around, you can leave them outside in all weather, either in the heat where they are in danger of dying of heatstroke or in the dead of winter when they could freeze to death. 

If you will just open your mind and allow yourself to see another point of view.  Read up on dog behavior and the history of the domesticated dog.  Learn how dogs behave and interact with each other in a pack and do research on the particular breed of dogs that you have and what their individual needs might be.  Yes, different breeds need different things.  For example, Border Collies are high energy, but are arguably the smartest breed around.  They need lots of physical and mental stimulation in order to thrive.  They are best when they are given tasks or “jobs” to perform that will keep them occupied and they are happier when they have an outlet in which to run out all that energy.  Saint Bernards, on the other hand, are laid back and quiet dogs that are loyal and very loving, but they’re not high energy and don’t need a LOT of exercise.

Because dogs possess such a high degree of intelligence, they are very unhappy when they are left alone.  When a dog is lonely and unhappy, it will often engage in inappropriate behaviors such as agressive behavior, chewing, incessant barking, jumping up on people, licking…etc.  And I’ve said it in other posts and I cannot possibly stress it enough…CHAINED DOGS OFTEN BECOME AGRESSIVE AND VERY TERRITORIAL. 

With just a little research you can find out what dogs really need.  Also, you said your dogs couldn’t be inside dogs…that is completely untrue.  There is no dog that can’t become an inside dog.  Housetraining is something that most every dog in the world can learn along with basic commands.  They are never too old to learn and most dogs love to learn new things.  You’d be surprised. 

You could argue that dogs are outside animals.  I’ve heard that before, and yes, dogs have, historically, been outdoor animals, but they have been domesticated to the point that the majority are now ill-equipped to live outdoors in just any kind of weather. 

Animal control does indeed have a hard job.  I wouldn’t want to have to do what they do, that’s for sure.  But you can’t assume that ALL AC officers are good animal loving folks who just want to help an animal out.  There are some who simply don’t care.  I have heard MANY complaints about the ones in Wythe County, but I don’t know them personally, so I really can’t comment on their feelings toward their job one way or the other. 

Also, again, my views are not radical.  There are many things that you could say about me on a personal level, I guess.. I’m not a perfect person and I probably enjoy debate a little too much (Case in point - this thread!!), but to say that I’m radical is a stretch.  I’m a normal wife and mother living in rural VA, going to work every day and trying to make a living just like everyone else.  I don’t get involved in picket lines or march on Washington for every cause that I happen to believe in.  I believe that there are radical people out there - PETA is VERY radical - some of those folks are just plain insane.  But I don’t think that describes me at all.  I just love animals.  I hate to see them chained and there is evidence to support my view that it is not good for dogs to be chained or penned.  Again, research. 

I’m not here to make an enemy of you, Roadchamp. I can disagree with a person without hating them or getting my personal feelings all involved.