Very well put for those two particular dogs.

Another case I might mention is in the countryside where I was raised in the mountains of a state, fox and coon hunting was very popular.
Up to six dogs usually were tied to dog houses in the back yard of some homes, however not ours. We had two cattle dogs who ran free on the large farm.

About once per week or less (especially in the winter) these hunting dogs were allowed to run freely while hunting at night--maybe all night.
Rest of the time they were chained to the dog house. They had each other mostly for company. After many hunts the owner was compelled to go "hunting" for his run-a-way dogs. Treated like lost children by neighbors, they were. Kind of liike lost slaves.
No property boundaries (at night) were respected for this hunting. Coon skins weren't worth much of anything except to brag about. An occasional fox skin was worth a few dollars if dried out properly.
Somewhat like football players and fighting dogs! Or player, as the case may be.

I don't agree with dogs being used as toys, or for human Prozac.
They are a moral responsibility.

genevalove wrote:
Chaining or tethering(nicer word) a dog creates a antisocial, territorial animal.

While we are stating "facts", let's state all of the facts ...

Leaving a dog in the yard, inside a fence for years, giving the dog attention only once a day when you go to water or feed him or her also creates an "antisocial and territorial animal."

Is the next item on your agenda the banning of dogs left inside a fenced yard? One of the "ladies" who is behind this push for a Fayette County ban is from outside Fayette County. She has stated, "If you don't have a fenced in yard, you don't deserve to have a dog!" This is NOT our opinion.

Also, Tethering does not always involve a chain. I really know of no trainers, disabled person with a Service Dog or Search and Rescue person that use a chain. What is typically used is a cord,
typically a 1/16" nylon cord with a clip on the end. The folks that support a total ban on tethering love to say "chain" because it sounds so much more brutal.

We need to be careful folks what we ban. What will be next?

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

Situations like that are we ordinances liek the one above are needed. Most of us can can handle tethering out pets in a way that both humane and responsible. It's the few that aren't responsible that screw up things for everyone.

I've yet to hear a name for this group.

The big push for this group comes from outside the Fayette County area by a woman from Decatur, GA, formerly of Athens, GA. This woman has gone from county to county pushing her personal agenda on various counties and municipalities.

What she has done here in Fayette County is to send photos to our county commissioners and others, claiming they are photos of chained, neglected and abused animals in Fayette and Fulton counties.

When asked by one of our county commisioners where exactly in Fayette County these photos were taken, she comes clean and says they are really just photos from Fulton County. She says if we don't enact a tethering BAN in Fayette County, that's what chained animals WOULD look like here.

Before this woman and her local cronies threaten me with a lawsuit, let me say that I have copies of emails to our commissioners, which I believe I have a right to have under the open records act.

So, what is the name of this group? Who knows? I would be afraid of any person or group who tries to force something on you while remaining annonymous.

What they have tried to do is to force this through, without you, the people of Fayette County having a voice in it.

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

iodiane wrote:
"According to the Humane Society of the United States, dogs tethered for long periods of time are likely to be aggressive and to develop antisocial and/or pathological behaviors."

ACTUALLY ...
ANY dog that is left alone for long periods of time, unsocialized, unsupervised and untrained, whether tethered, left alone inside a fence or even indoors in a home are likely to develop anti-social and/or pathological behaviors, including aggression. Banning all tethering is not a magic bullet to stop all bad behavior in dogs.

What a BAN would do is to prohibit ALL tethering, long-term, short-term, supervised and unsupervised. That is what a BAN does. What would be more appropriate is a "Tethering Ordinance" rather than a Anti-Tethering Ordinance.

A "Tethering Ordinance" would spell out under what conditions a dog could be tethered, i.e. length of time, supervision required, means of tethering, time of day, etc..

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

Here is a link to the Humane Society of the United States about tethering dogs.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/animal_abuse_and_neglect/the_facts_about_chaining_or_tethering_dogs.html

>iodiane wrote:
Here is a link to the Humane Society of the United States about tethering dogs.
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/animal_abuse_and_neglect/the_facts_about_chaining_or_tethering_dogs.html

Even the Humane Society Of America says it is acceptable under certain conditions:

That very same article says:
Placing an animal on a restraint to get fresh air can be acceptable if it is done for a short period.

Again, regulation and NOT a ban is the way to go.

Michael & Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY GEORGIA

iodiane wrote:
"An anti-tethering ordinance would prohibit the long-term and unsupervised tethering of dogs."

Actually, what a BAN would do is to prohibit dog trainers, Search and Rescue personnel and other dog handlers from temporarily tethering their dogs when it might be needed in the course of their work.

Simply attaching the dog to anything while recovering a victim or suspect or training a dog would be technically in violation of this "Anti-Tethering" ordinance.

That is what a BAN would do. What would be more appropriate is a "Tethering Ordinance" rather than a "Anti-Tethering Ordinance".

A "Tethering Ordinance" would spell out under what conditions a dog could be tethered, i.e. length of time, supervision required, means of tethering, time of day, etc..

What needs to happen is that our Fayette County Commission needs to form a committee of FAYETTE COUNTY dog professionals such as Fayette County Animal Control, dog trainers/behaviourists and dog owners to discuss and advise them on a "Tethering Ordinance" and NOT a tethering ban!!!

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS

iodiane wrote:
An anti-tethering ordinance would prohibit the long-term and unsupervised tethering of dogs.

Actually, what a BAN would do is to prohibit ALL tethering, long-term, short-term, supervised and unsupervised. That is what a BAN does. What would be more appropriate is a "Tethering Ordinance" rather than a Anti-Tethering Ordinance.

A "Tethering Ordinance" would spell out under what conditions a dog could be tethered, i.e. length of time, supervision required, means of tethering, time of day, etc..

How about the handicapped or disabled Fayette County resident who has a Service Dog that MUST be tethered for short periods of time in order for them to move from their home to their vehicle? Or trying to get in or out of the vehicle while they are loading their wheelchair or other medical assistance devices, walkers, etc. With an "Anti-Tethering" ordinance, they would be technically prohibited from this simple yet very important act.

What needs to happen is that our Fayette County Commission needs to form a committee of Dog professionals such as Fayette County Animal Control, Fayette County Dog trainers/behaviourists and dog owners to discuss and advise them on a "Tethering Ordinance" and NOT a tethering ban!!!

If you will follow the paper trail, you will find that this whole ban agenda is being pushed by people OUTSIDE FAYETTE COUNTY.

My family and I have been proud FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS for nearly 20 years, we have been dog trainers for nearly 30 years and we vote.

If the Fayette County Commissioners will form a committee to discuss this issue, we volunteer and request to be appointed to this committee.

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

We tether our (older, non-agressive) German Shepherd only when we're home, only for maybe 4 hours at a time. This is basically because at the moment, we are arguing over an electronic fence vs. a board fence. We're arguing over the fence mostly because a electronic fence would not prevent un-collared dogs from coming in our yard, and the electric fenced dogs seem so pitiful. They want to play, but know their fence's boundaries. Dogs' aggressiveness seems to increase in a fenced yard, so...

I'd love fencing advice, but meanwhile, would appreciate a precisely defined ordinance also.

Go with a wood fence. This is a good time to build one since economy is slow. The price of building materials and contractors is down.

I have seen several dogs laying in the road or beside it with electric collars on. Most dogs learn quickly that they are one shock away from freedom. They also learn not to come back into the yard or they will get another shock. One of my friends had a dog that was so smart he stood just close enough to the fence line to wear the battery down. Then he was gone.

If you could let us know when the commissioners will need to hear from the public to vote yes on this, I will be there with as many people as I can gather (should be a lot) to support the anti-tethering ordinance.

ZoeS

"Never love anything that can't love you back."

March 4th 3:30 at the Stonewall Complex - the commissioners will discuss the proposed anti-tethering ordinance. There will be an opportunity for the public to speak. We're hoping that those who support this ordinance will attend and let the commissioners know that you care about this important issue. The proposed ordinance has the support of the Director of Animal Control in Fayette County.

Diane Beal
John Conti
Fayetteville

iodiane wrote:
"The proposed ordinance has the support of the Director of Animal Control in Fayette County."

How do you know this? Has he told you this? If so, that would be newsworthy and The Citizen would certainly have covered THAT story.

I have the hope that Fayette County Animal Services Director Miguel Abi-Hassan will be reasonable and listen to the people of Fayette County to see what THEY want and need before making his decision and reccommendations to the county commission.

I think the reasonable people of Fayette County would prefer the voice of reason and sanity rather the demands of animal rights radicals from outside Fayette County.

Mr. Abi-Hassan's phone number at the shelter is 770-631-7210

Hours of Operation
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. M-F
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Saturday

Call him and let him know that you would prefer an ordinance that eliminates long term unsupervised tethering/chaining rather than a BAN on all tethering.

Email our county commissioners to tell them the same thing:

http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/administration/BOC/index.asp

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

zoes wrote:
If you could let us know when the commissioners will need to hear from the public to vote yes on this, I will be there with as many people as I can gather (should be a lot) to support the anti-tethering ordinance.

And we will also be there with FAYETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS AND VOTERS to say No to any total BAN.

The "Anti-Tethering" ordinance, on it's face seems like a wonderful idea. That is until you read into it the negative effects it would have for the people who use legitimate and short term tethering.

We are for an ordinance that would prevent LONG TERM and UNSUPERVISED tethering/chaining of any animal. We are for something that makes it illegal to chain a dog to a pole, dog house or any other object for days/weeks at a time. But let Fayette County be smart about how we procede with this.

This "Anti-Tethering" ordinance is being driven by people from OUTSIDE Fayette County.

We would suggest Fayette County do what the Georgia counties of Gwinnett, DeKalb and Chatham have done: Ban tethering UNATTENDED dogs.

Exceptions could be made for temporarily tethering a dog when the pet owner is close by, and for restraining a dog on a run such as a cable or "trolley system," with restrictions such as:

Only one dog may be hooked on the line at a time.

No dog may be left on the run between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The line must be at least 10 feet long, and at least 4 feet but no
more than 7 feet off the ground.

The tether must be attached to a harness or a collar other than the
collar bearing the dog's rabies tag, with enough slack in the collar to slip two fingers between it and the dog's neck. Choke or pinch collars would not be allowed.

No dog may be restrained on a run so that the animal could become
tangled, jump a fence or other obstacle or fall from a deck or other
raised surface and become injured or die.

Water and shelter should still be required.

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

All of these exceptions would weaken a good law. An ANTI-TETHERING ordinance is what we need. The exceptions can be made on a case by case basis and handled by intelligent people who know that life is made of grey areas. This way a good law that protects the loving and dependent dogs in our county can be strongly upheld in the best interest of the community.

REMEMBER:
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man"
-- Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

ZoeS

"Never love anything that can't love you back."

zoes wrote:
"All of these exceptions would weaken a good law. An ANTI-TETHERING ordinance is what we need."

The exceptions WOULD weaken a BAN. But they would allow LEGAL exceptions to a TOTAL ban.

A "tethering ordinance" rather than a ban as you and the others from OUTSIDE Fayette County desire, would make more sense.

zoes wrote:
"The exceptions can be made on a case by case basis and handled by intelligent people who know that life is made of grey areas."

With the BAN you are pushing for, there would be no "grey areas". It would be black or white. There would be no legal room for "case by case" exceptions.

An ordinance that spells out what is allowed and what is not allowed is what is needed and makes more sense without putting those who have a legitimate need to TEMPORARILY tether in a hardship.

The roots of anti-tethering laws are found in radical organizations such as PETA. It is well known that such groups are against dog ownership altogether. Their approach to the anti-tethering movement is typical of their strategies --showing worst case scenarios and even making up "facts."

Michael and Claudia Clifton
FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA

What is all this "tethering" crap?

You can do this, but not that! You can herd cats if you have more than one!
Dogs can howl all day at noises while tethered, but not while untethered! While walking your dog or cat, you may let them do odd things to other people's animals and property providing you didn't really want him to do so!

It is OK to leave the dog or cat outside at night (and day) providing it doesn't get below 40 below and the wind is under 50 MPH.
My cat doesn't get on car hoods and scratch them---if he does it is an accident. He also doesn't use flower beds.

My dog doesn't wipe his rear on my carpet! I know I kiss him after he licks things of his, but he is clean. Maybe yours if other dogs or cats have been there.

Two ounces of stale dirty water should be provided for a tethered dog or one who can't get to water. His shelter shouldn't leak much and not stink badly.

Drinking out of kitchen sinks is OK, but eating off the kitchen table is allowed only when guests are present.
Commode lids should be shut at all times.
Dead birds and rats drug in should not be buried but put into the kitchen trash.

Collars should be tight so as not to be able to be wrested off by the animal. No blood, OK.
Big old dogs---30-200 pounds, shouldn't play with 15 pound infants much--especially if no adult is between the dog's teeth and the kid pulling the animals ears!

Let us make these rules enforceable by the code officers! Oh, they don't look much do they? Apparently. A sworn warrant will hardly get then off their butt!

You said "My dog doesn't wipe his rear on my carpet! I know I kiss him after he licks things of his, but he is clean. Maybe yours if other dogs or cats have been there." How do you want to work this, after my dog licks her parts, do you want me to call you so you can kiss her, or do you want to hang around and wait for the big event? Will this involve any tongue on your part( after all you will have just met my dog)?Does it matter that my dog is a female, I know you said yours is a male, not to imply that you're gay or anything. I will wait for your number or you can reach me here.

BTW, what is a baroom?
I yam what I yam....Popeye