News & Events
04/23/2010
SPCA Seeks Anti-chaining Regulations in New Provincial Animal Protection Legislation
April 23, 2010
For Immediate Release
SPCA Seeks Anti-chaining Regulations in New Provincial Animal Protection Legislation
Thousands Sign Petition Protesting Prolonged Chaining of Dogs
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador – The St. John’s SPCA submitted a petition signed by more than 8,100 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to Natural Resources Minister, Kathy Dunderdale, urging the Provincial Government to incorporate anti-chaining regulations for dogs in the new Animal Protection legislation.
Under the current Animal Protection Act which dates from the 1970s, it is legal to leave a dog chained 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – without any socialization. The cruel custom of confining beagles in tiny, raised cages with mesh floors also continues in hundreds of communities across the province. The SPCA’s “Start a Chain Reaction” petition began two years ago in response to the inhumane treatment of dogs in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In a March 1, 2010 news release from the Minister of Natural Resources, it states that the new Animal Health and Protection Act will be introduced into the House of Assembly during the Spring session and that it will provide the “… the greatest protection and enforcement possible in regards to animal welfare.”
“It is imperative that the new legislation bans or severely limits the amount of time a dog spends at the end of a chain,” said David Buffett, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador SPCA. “The attack last year on the 9-year-old girl from Corner Brook by a German shepherd who broke free from his tether, galvanized the public’s growing intolerance on this serious issue. Not only is it inhumane to chain a dog on for its entire life without any socialization or minimum standards of care, it is a public safety issue and one that must be addressed by Minister Dunderdale,” Buffett added.
Many cities and rural communities across Canada and the U.S. have introduced laws that make it illegal to chain dogs for prolonged periods. Dogs that are continuously chained are three times more likely to bite than an unchained dog. (Canada Safety Council) They become bored, territorial, and frustrated which leads to anger and aggression.
Facts about Chained Dogs * Chained dogs can become aggressive from intense confinement, long periods of boredom and lack of socialization. They also feel trapped, unable to escape from noises, people or animals that frighten them.
* The victims of chained dog attacks are usually children who wander unknowingly into the dog’s territory or are attacked when the dog finally breaks free.
* Karen Delise, author of “Fatal Dog Attacks” states in her book that “statistically, chained dogs are more dangerous than a free-running pack of dogs.”
* A dog should be confined in a fenced yard or chain link enclosure when not in the house.
* The Canadian Safety Council estimates that in 70% of dog bite cases, the victim knew the dog.
* Many dogs, particularly beagles are living in inhumane living conditions without adequate food, water or shelter. These dogs are kept in back yards in pens with wire meshed floors or tied to a dog house, or have as shelter, a dog house which is entirely inadequate to protect the animal from the cold in winter or the heat in summer.
* Dogs end up on a chain in many cases because they grow too big, the owner is unable to train them, a new baby arrives or the old-school mentality that large dogs do not live in the house.
About the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
The Newfoundland and Labrador SPCA provides province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal welfare, and works with its branches to encourage humane and suitable animal care; calls attention to unacceptable practices that harm animals; investigates cruelty complaints; advocates for humane laws; and provides care to all animals in need.
There are eight SPCA branches in Newfoundland and Labrador; St. John’s, Clarenville, Burin, Gander, Bay of Islands, Exploits Valley, Happy Valley Goose Bay and the Southwest Coast.
Under the current Animal Protection Act which dates from the 1970s, it is legal to leave a dog chained 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – without any socialization. The cruel custom of confining beagles in tiny, raised cages with mesh floors also continues in hundreds of communities across the province. The SPCA’s “Start a Chain Reaction” petition began two years ago in response to the inhumane treatment of dogs in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In a March 1, 2010 news release from the Minister of Natural Resources, it states that the new Animal Health and Protection Act will be introduced into the House of Assembly during the Spring session and that it will provide the “… the greatest protection and enforcement possible in regards to animal welfare.”
“It is imperative that the new legislation bans or severely limits the amount of time a dog spends at the end of a chain,” said David Buffett, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador SPCA. “The attack last year on the 9-year-old girl from Corner Brook by a German shepherd who broke free from his tether, galvanized the public’s growing intolerance on this serious issue. Not only is it inhumane to chain a dog on for its entire life without any socialization or minimum standards of care, it is a public safety issue and one that must be addressed by Minister Dunderdale,” Buffett added.
Many cities and rural communities across Canada and the U.S. have introduced laws that make it illegal to chain dogs for prolonged periods. Dogs that are continuously chained are three times more likely to bite than an unchained dog. (Canada Safety Council) They become bored, territorial, and frustrated which leads to anger and aggression.
Facts about Chained Dogs * Chained dogs can become aggressive from intense confinement, long periods of boredom and lack of socialization. They also feel trapped, unable to escape from noises, people or animals that frighten them.
* The victims of chained dog attacks are usually children who wander unknowingly into the dog’s territory or are attacked when the dog finally breaks free.
* Karen Delise, author of “Fatal Dog Attacks” states in her book that “statistically, chained dogs are more dangerous than a free-running pack of dogs.”
* A dog should be confined in a fenced yard or chain link enclosure when not in the house.
* The Canadian Safety Council estimates that in 70% of dog bite cases, the victim knew the dog.
* Many dogs, particularly beagles are living in inhumane living conditions without adequate food, water or shelter. These dogs are kept in back yards in pens with wire meshed floors or tied to a dog house, or have as shelter, a dog house which is entirely inadequate to protect the animal from the cold in winter or the heat in summer.
* Dogs end up on a chain in many cases because they grow too big, the owner is unable to train them, a new baby arrives or the old-school mentality that large dogs do not live in the house.
About the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
The Newfoundland and Labrador SPCA provides province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal welfare, and works with its branches to encourage humane and suitable animal care; calls attention to unacceptable practices that harm animals; investigates cruelty complaints; advocates for humane laws; and provides care to all animals in need.
There are eight SPCA branches in Newfoundland and Labrador; St. John’s, Clarenville, Burin, Gander, Bay of Islands, Exploits Valley, Happy Valley Goose Bay and the Southwest Coast.
Next page: About Us