At the Chicago Field Museum, amid the jewelry, glass, and casts of the human victims of the tragic volcanic explosion that buried Pompeii, is another disturbing cast, one of a chained dog lying on its back—suffocated, unable to escape the ever-increasing ash.
In December in Cahokia, IL, a chained mother dog left outside without food or water was unable to protect her pups from the cold. Four of the puppies died of exposure.
The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is calling on community leaders to act with compassion and restrict the chaining dogs in their communities.
"Chained dogs don't have a chance—as we saw in the Cahokia case, they or their pups can freeze to death," said Ledy VanKavage, senior director of legislation at the ASPCA. "Dogs are social animals. In addition to sustenance and warmth, they need companionship, and chaining them to something is an inhumane way to treat man's best friend."
Ald. Karen McKay of Florissant, MO, is proposing an anti-tethering ordinance and McHenry County in Illinois is considering such a measure. DuPage County in Illinois and Creve Coeur, MO, have already passed ordinances that restrict tethering.
Chaining also puts the public at risk. According to Karen Delise, who wrote the book "Fatal Dog Attacks," chained dogs are responsible for 25 percent of all dog-related human fatalities. Often, the longer canines are on a chain, the more aggressive they become. Delise writes in her book, "If cities truly wanted to protect the public, they would not pass ineffective breed specific legislation that does nothing to reduce the number of dog bites, but would outlaw tethering. Many humane communities across the United States are outlawing chaining, not just for the dogs but for the people."
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA was the first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA's mission is to provide an effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA(r) provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. For more information, visit www.aspca.org. |
