It’s hard for me not to get on my soapbox when I see a dog chained up in a yard. To me, it’s ridiculous to have a dog if you’re plan is to leave it chained up outside the majority of the day, with little to no interaction from or with you. In that case, I recommend a pet rock.

Thanks to some folks in Durham, North Carolina, I know I’m not alone.

The Coalition to Unchain Dogs recently celebrated the unchaining of their 100th dog.

This group of volunteers is amazing. They raise money and build fences for chained dogs in the community; provide support to and educate the community as to why chaining is cruel and dangerous and raise awareness of the physical, mental and emotional needs of dogs; and advocate for the passing of laws that disallow or severely restrict the chaining of dogs.

The Coalition has been adopted as a program of Independent Animal Rescue (IAR). Through this affiliation, they make sure that every dog receiving a fence also receives vaccinations and is spayed/neutered through IAR’s Community Spay/Neuter Program.

According to dog behaviorists:

• Dogs suffer from boredom, stress and loneliness on the end of a chain.
• Dogs are pack animals, thus they want and need socialization and companionship.
• Chained dogs are associated with crime and are used to guard drug houses and in dog fighting rings.
• The American Veterinary Medical Association warns that chaining a dog can contribute to aggressive behavior.
• The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture prohibits chaining as the primary means of confinement under the Animal Welfare Act.
• The Center for Disease Control states that chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs.

Nearly 100 state and local jurisdictions ban or severely restrict dog chaining.

That’s a good start, but we can do better!

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This past week, the Longmont Times-Call in Colorado published a story about a local postal carrier, trained by the U.S. Postal Service in defensive techniques that include wielding a can of pepper spray or mail satchel at a dangerous dog.

According to Longmont’s postmaster, customers who fail to restrain their dogs can lose their service or even cost service for an entire neighborhood block.

Mail carriers are most concerned about dog bites, which can lead to lost work time for carriers. Nationally, 3,149 mail carriers suffered bites in 2007, and each bite costs the postal service an average of $2,000 in lost work time and medical bills.

Most of the time, owners of dogs who threaten or attack mail carriers are first issued a warning that the dog must be restrained while the carrier is delivering mail. In the event of a second offense, the postal service requires that the mailbox be moved away from the house and dog to continue service. A third offense can result in a complete withdrawal of mail delivery to the home, plus if the dog is loose on the block, neighbors also may lose service. 

Sometimes even the most docile dog will snap or lunge at a mail carrier, not out of malice but out of protection. So give mail carriers a break, and keep your pooch secured and out of the way of mail carriers.

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The tornado that rocked northern Colorado on May 22 did more that disrupt lives, it also displaced many pets. That’s why the Weld County Animal Response Team (CART) rescued around 120 animals.

Of those animals, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office says 68 percent were dogs, 25 percent cats and 7 percent reptiles.  

First the animals were taken to the Windsor Recreation Center, but because that is an outside location, they were then moved to the Humane Society of Weld County in Evans.  

Anyone who lives in the area (or knows someone who does) and is missing their pet can call the Humane Society at 970-506-9550.

The CART is made up of animal control offices with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, Firestone Police Department and the Dacono Police Department as well as workers at the Humane Society of Weld County, Westridge Animal Hospital, Alpine Animal Hospital, Vets Animal Hospital and the Eagle Spirit Mobile Clinic.

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This week (May 18 through 24) is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and although the majority of attention-getting dog bites pertain to dog v. human, I can attest to the fact that dog v. dog bites are just as traumatic and harrowing.

I know of what I speak, because when I was a child, I was bit in the buttock by our neighbors dog, a Rottweiler. Ironically, about 30 years later, my own dog was bit by a Rottweiler. 

Although there are dog breeds that have reputations as biters, I don’t blame the dog, I blame the owner. In fact, an estimated 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, but most of these incidents are preventable.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are some steps you can take to lessen the risk that your dog will bite.

1. Spay or neuter your dog, which will reduce your dog’s desire to roam and fight with other dogs.
2. Socialize your dog by introducing your dog to many different types of people and situations, so that he or she is not nervous or frightened under normal social circumstances.
3. Train your dog at a training class and involve the whole family–every member of your household should learn the training techniques and participate in your dog’s education.
4. Teach your dog appropriate behavior. Don’t teach your dog to chase after or attack others, even in fun, and set appropriate limits for your dog’s behavior.
5. License your dog as required by law, provide regular veterinary care, including rabies vaccinations, don’t allow your dog to roam alone, and make your dog a member of your family (experts say that dogs who spend a great deal of time alone in the backyard or tied on a chain often become dangerous).
6. Err on the safe side–if you don’t know how your dog will react to a new situation, be cautious; if your dog may panic in crowds, leave him at home; if your dog overreacts to visitors or delivery or service personnel, keep him in another room.

If your dog does bite:

• Confine your dog immediately and check on the victim’s condition. If necessary, seek medical help.
• Provide the victim with important information, such as the date of your dog’s last rabies vaccination.
• Cooperate with the animal control official responsible for acquiring information about your dog. If your dog must be quarantined for any length of time, ask whether he may be confined within your home or at your veterinarian’s hospital. Strictly follow quarantine requirements for your dog.
• Seek professional help to prevent your dog from biting again. Consult with your veterinarian, who may refer you to an animal behaviorist or a dog trainer. Your community animal care and control agency or humane society may also offer helpful services.
• If your dog’s dangerous behavior cannot be controlled, do not give him to someone else without carefully evaluating that person’s ability to protect him and prevent him from biting. Because you know your dog is dangerous, you may be held liable for any damage he does even when he is given to someone else.
• Don’t give your dog to someone who wants a dangerous dog. “Mean” dogs are often forced to live miserable, isolated lives, and become even more likely to attack someone in the future. If you must give up your dog due to dangerous behavior, consult with your veterinarian and with your local animal care and control agency or humane society about your options.

For more information, click here and here.

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So strongly, I recently wrote an article on the topic (of lost and found pets).

I’m hoping there comes a day when every dog owner ensures their canine sports a properly-fitted collar, identification tags and a current license.

Until then, I will continue to be a lost dog magnet.

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Before we ever got Greta, I debated the virtues of the dog park.

But once she came into our home, we went a few times and had so much fun it became a daily ritual. 

In August 2007, we were at that dog park on a Sunday morning romp with other greyhounds, and Greta was bit by another dog. After an exchange of contact information and a trip to the vet, the owner of that dog refused to pay our vet bill.

From August through November 2007, I conducted extensive research and got to know the local Animal Control for the City of Sacramento very well. My goal was to make them enforce the rules posted at the dog park, in an effort to get the other dog’s owner to own up to her dog’s actions.

When that didn’t work, I had to file the papers to take said owner to small claims court. Even then, she owner refused to pay the bill.

In January 2008, I had my day in court, where I presented an overwhelming case. The defendant was even cut off early on because she had no defense–while I had three witnesses who saw her dog bite Greta, and she admits she wasn’t watching her dog!

I subsequently won, and then, finally, was repaid weeks later (including all various fees associated with taking the owner to court). I also became a reluctant expert regarding dog park lawsuits in the process.

While I am very happy with the outcome (justice served!), the fact that I had to wait a full seven months after the incident still rubs me the wrong way.

I know most people are responsible, and most would do the right thing in this situation.

And, as luck would have it, I probably ran into the one individual that’s ever been to that dog park who refuses to do what’s right and take responsibility for their dog’s actions.

But all the time and money I had to invest to earn my victory left me exhausted and swore me off dog parks.

I think dog parks are great in theory, but when something goes wrong, it takes a herculean effort to enforce rules and regulations.

During the ordeal, I used to say that the dog park is, in essence, the wild, wild west–a place where anything goes.

That’s why I’m not going.

(Greta’s wound, which required a drain between the upper and lower bites.)

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I’m a major animal nut. I try to help every animal I encounter, I’m a rescue/adoption advocate, and, a long time ago, I even thought I wanted to be a veterinarian (I worked for a vet hospital for a total of two days, then I quit because I was constantly crying).

I’m also the type of person who has to get up and leave the room if I see an animal being hurt. I didn’t make it through March of the Penguins (I had to leave during the passing of the eggs), missed part of Eight Below, and have never seen Old Yeller all the way through.

So I practically had to tie myself to a chair to sit through Oprah’s expose on puppy mills last week. It probably wasn’t very good planning on my part to tape the show and then start watching it a few minutes before we were leaving to meet friends for dinner (Mike came out in the living room, saw tears streaming down my face and said, “Great. They’re going to think I beat you before we left the house.”)

But I am so glad I taped the show, because I have been able to tolerate it in five- to 10-minute increments, and my eyes have been opened (once again) to the horrors that many dogs face on a daily basis, all their lives.

I’ve rescued a greyhound, and the little I’ve read about a greyhound’s life on the track has allowed me to give Greta a lot of leeway in regards to certain behavior issues we’ve faced.  

Regarding the Oprah expose, it was due in large part to Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue. Every year, Main Line rescues hundreds of abused, unwanted or abandoned animals, rehabilitates them and then adopts them out to families. Many of these animals are from puppy mills, which Bill describes as “places where bad breeders care more about the profit they make from puppies than the health or welfare of the animals.”

During the show, Lisa Ling and her hidden camera joined Bill on a tour of puppy mills in Pennsylvania. (According to The Humane Society of the United States, there may be as many as 10,000 puppy mills operating across the United States. They are all perfectly legal.)

Many of the dogs born in puppy mills end up in pet stores or sold on the Internet. Most people don’t understand that the cute puppy they just bought had to endure the most terrible conditions during its first weeks of life, and that cute puppy’s mom or dad is still living in the most deplorable, unspeakable conditions.

Bill, who has fostered relationships with hundreds of breeders across Pennsylvania, askes for the dogs they no longer want or the ones they’re planning to kill. These dogs are typically either older females and younger males, because breeders only need one or two male dogs to breed with every 20 fertile females.

At one puppy mill they visit, Bill speculates that many of the dogs have never walked in the grass, although they live on a 60-acre property. At another, they find about 40 dogs in wire-floored rabbit cages stacked to the ceiling in a room reeking of urine and feces. At another, they see outdoor cages filled with Pomeranians, and Bill says that not only have those dogs probably never been out of those small cages, but it’s likely that they remain outside even in bad weather and could die from exposure.

During their visits, Bill rescues dozens of dogs. He says that sometimes when he’s out to pick up a dog, the breeder has had the dog eight or nine years and it doesn’t have a name. it’s never been out of the hutch, it doesn’t know how to walk, and he has to carry it to the car. Some have also had their vocal chords damaged by a pipe in order to keep them from barking.

Despite the inhumane conditions the dogs lived in before their rescue, Bill says they usually start to show signs of rehabilitation in about two weeks.

Main Line Animal Rescue has rescued approximately 7,000 to 8,000 animals—about 5,000 of those from puppy mills. Their placement rate is about 99 precent, and Bill has also opened his home to some of the dogs (he currently has 10, but has had up to 12 at once).

The show’s message is clear: Don’t buy a dog at a pet store or off the Internet, because you will most likely be supporting puppy mills. Instead, head to your local shelter or animal rescue organzation.

According to Bill, a third to 50 percent of the animals in shelters, depending on the location, are purebred dogs, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, there are also breed-specific rescues throughout the country. (If you must have your pedigree dog, look for a quality breeder.)

To help win the shelter battle, Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, recommends spaying and neutering to prevents the needless killing of millions of animals. Dr. Shelly Rubin, who treats Oprah’s dogs, says spaying or neutering is one of the best things you can do for your pet’s health.

To read the truth about animal shelters and responsible breeders, click here. To read more about what you need to know before getting a dog, click here. To find out how to help shut down puppy mills, click here.

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First, let me explain that I am not one of those people. You know, the ones who can nonchalantly walk/drive by a loose dog in the street or on the side of the road and carry on as if nothing was the matter.

I have to stop. I am compelled to stop. And while I like to joke that I am always doing this to try to up my “canine Karma” in the event that Greta ever slips away from me, that’s really not true, because I was doing this long before I ever considered having a dog.

Back to the finding of dogs, which usually happens a couple of times a year (I lost count at 10 dogs since we’ve lived here). This past weekend, it happened again.

On Saturday, we decided to go on a family walk, which we hardly ever do. Greta was leashed up and very excited to be with both “mommy” and “daddy”, and off we went.

About two blocks away, we saw a rottweiler running in the street. It saw us and turned and ran the other way, so we followed it. It ran up to a house, and Mike was 99 percent sure it lived there.

The dog was very sweet and submissive, so I was able to see that it had a license but no address/phone number tag, so we had no way of contacting the owner.

Of course, no one was home, and neither were the neighbors on either side. For some reason, the house also had no backyard access from the front, so we could neither get the dog back in the yard, nor figure out how it got out to begin with. (It was grossly overweight, so there was no under/over the fence action, to be sure.)

The people who lived there often had the rottweiler tethered to a tree in front of the house, so we took that tether and tied the dog to the front door, hoping that the owners would be back momentarily and all would be fine. I filled the dog’s water dish, and we set off.

On our way home about an hour later, we went back by the house, and the dog was still there. We made sure it had enough water and was as comfortable as possible, and we came home and called Sacramento Animal Control to report the incident.

Because the dog had a license, they were able to contact the owner and resolve the problem. Thankfully, the dog was o.k. and didn’t get hurt or hit by a car in the meantime.

Then, on Sunday morning on our way out on some errands, we saw a dachshund running in the street (a very busy street by our house) and no one was around. We stopped, and the little thing had a collar on, but no tags of any kind (not very helpful when trying to reunite dog and owner).

We brought it home and got a leash and I walked it all around the area where we found it, in the hopes that it would either know its way home or its owner would come out looking for it.

Neither happened, so again I called Animal Control.

An Animal Control Officer came out to get the dog, and it just so happened to be the same guy I talked to the day before about the rottweiler.

He thanked me for helping them out (both the dogs and Animal Control), and then he said:

“You know, you’re doing the right thing. Most people think it’s better to leave the dog and let it find its way home, but they almost never do and they just end up hurt or dead. It’s much better to give them a chance to be reunited or adopted by someone else, or at least put down humanely instead of being hit by a car.”

I hugged the man. And then I went inside and showered Greta with kisses.

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