A dog's life on a chain is no life at all

I live in the country and must drive 20 miles to town. On the way I see something disturbing: dogs living a lonely life tied at the end of a chain.

On one road I saw a young, mixed-breed dog tied to a clothes line, an old, ramshackle dog house under a nearby tree. I'd sometimes see him playing with an old blanket, his only companion, but usually he just lied there.

Another road took me past a similar scene, this one even sadder because the breed chained to his prison was a herding breed, a dog meant to work hard, exercise and run. His dog house was placed in an open field far from the house.

I'd see him lie on the shady side of the dog house in the heat. When it rained, he'd huddle inside, the barren dirt circle he'd worn around the house a muddy mess. Sometimes I'd see him play with an old black bucket, which made me worry he'd tipped over his water.

Every day their sad situation weighed on me, because I believe, as do all animal welfare organizations, that dogs should be members of the family. Anyone who knows a dog's nature knows it's cruel to leave them alone with no companionship or stimulation, especially tied to a chain.

Dogs are sociable pack animals that need to interact with humans or other dogs.

Aside from being cruel, tying a dog to a chain 24 hours a day, day in and day out, poses numerous dangers. They can wrap around a tree and be unable to move or reach food or water. They must endure extreme weather — excessive heat, frigid cold and frightening thunderstorms.

They can't escape attacks from other animals or people who want to harm them.

Chained dogs also pose a community safety risk. A happy, normal dog can become territorial, neurotic and aggressive, viewing people who enter his or her space as a threat. Chained dogs are more prone to bite than dogs that aren't forced to live in this inhumane, unnatural way.

I will never understand how someone could watch their dog live this way and not realize how horrible a life it is. I don't understand why they even want a dog when they spend no time with it, other than to feed it and water it as if it were a plant.

So every day I'd silently pray that these dogs' lives would change for the better, and my prayers were answered. About a week ago, I noticed both had disappeared.

The young dog tied to the clothes line is gone, along with his dog house. The herding dog's house still stands, but he's gone too. His black bucket lies in the dirt, untouched.

I'd like to think the owners realized what terrible lives their dogs endured and found them new homes where they are now getting attention, love and freedom to run. But I also know many owners simply take their dogs to the county shelter, where most are euthanized. But if the latter was the two dogs' fate, I'm happy, because that end is far better than years spent chained.

If your neighbors' dog lives that way, educate them on alternatives. Volunteer with a local rescue group, many of which are working to enact laws making permanent chaining of dogs illegal.

Don't make a dog live on a chain, because it's no life at all.

Reference: http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070523/LIFESTYLE/705230309

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