| Dear XXXXXXX, I have read that the Coalition to Unchain Dogs and other community organizations in Orange and Durham Counties are working toward getting a law passed which would make it illegal to keep dogs on chains. I am writing today in support of such a law. When one sees chained dogs in a neighborhood, it is easy to assume that the neighborhood is a rough one, whether that is true or not. This is because it is so obviously cruel to keep a dog chained all the time that it is difficult to imagine nice people doing it. Dogs want desperately to be with their family. They are pack animals and we are their pack. We are their world. In the wild, wolves and feral dogs punish an errant member of the pack by ignoring him. This is agonizing for the punished dog. If humans chain their dog and ignore him most of the time, he feels punished but doesn’t know for what crime. At first he becomes frustrated by the lack of affection and stimulation. Eventually, he just gives up and becomes depressed. Our dogs depend on us for everything--including love, play and comfort. There are few sights sadder than a dog straining at the end of his chain, barking and whining in a vain attempt to get his family’s attention. A chained dog suffers in extremes of temperature and in wet weather, even if he has a house. He often has difficulty avoiding contact with his own excrement and he is vulnerable to attack by roaming dogs and cruel teenagers. His family is less likely to notice an illness or injury because dogs that are kept on chains are rarely handled by their people. I am aware that there have been problems in Orange and Durham Counties with illegal dog fighting and other crimes associated with dog fighting. Dogs who are kept for fighting are kept on chains so they won’t kill each other between fights. Outlawing the chaining of dogs would make it more difficult for dog fighters to thrive in our community. Please do what you can to ensure that a law is passed which would prohibit the cruel practice of chaining dogs. It will help alleviate a tremendous amount of suffering, while simultaneously making Orange and Durham Counties less conducive for illegal dog fighting and the other crimes which accompany this cruel practice. Thank
you very much for your time and attention, |