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Dogs Deserve Better strongly encourages all of you reading this today to make it happen! Get laws in your city, county, state or country against the chaining and penning of dogs for life.The longer we work the issue of chaining and penning dogs the more we realize we need laws to protect them. Many letters fall on deaf ears, and even person to person contact often results in dead ends. Working via education alone is not the fastest route. Education combined with legislation is the answer.
"As a lobbyist for more than a decade, I've learned important lessons. First, most legislators' votes about animals are unknown by the vast majority of their constituents who care, leaving opponents of humane laws in control. Second, state policies allow institutional and legal forms of animal abuse, because our legislators and policymakers have not been held accountable for their actions by an informed constituency. Third, inhumane laws and policies do not reflect the views of the majority, but rather those of anti-animal minorities with a strong local or national presence. Fourth, this will not change until animal advocates voice their feelings to the legislators and let them know they will be held accountable in the voting booth." Julie recently lobbied for and got the first state law prohibiting continuous chaining of dogs in Connecticut. Julie will come to your organization or community for a training seminar, e-mail her at jlewin@nifaa.org or call her at 203.453.6590. Citizens in communities throughout the U.S. have stood and changed laws already. We welcome articles from anyone instrumental in changing chained dog laws. Please e-mail your article to info@dogsdeservebetter.org. We all need to pitch in to help get laws passed! Please send this letter to your local and state representatives and senators. There is also a letter to the editor in .doc format. Letter for Legislation in .pdf format Letter for Legislation in .doc format Letter to the Editor in .doc format Below are a couple of sites where you can find out the name and address of your state and local reps. Also, Congress.org allows you to send e-mails to them too. Congress.org Heather Carpenter, Orlando Florida Dogs Deserve Better rep, has compiled a basic 'to-do' list from a seminar in changing laws at the AR2003 Conference in DC: 1) SELECT AN ISSUE. Like chaining of
dogs!! 2) EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE ISSUE. You should be well
informed on the issues surrounding your cause, and not just from a
cruelty aspect. Government officials are concerned about public
safety, public health, and of course animal welfare. 3) RESEARCH YOUR COUNTY'S CURRENT LAWS. They may have
some aspect of a tethering ordinance in place. If not, they may have
an ordinance regarding the confinement of animals. Tethering could
be added onto this already existing ordinance. Remember that http://www.municode.com is a good
resource to look up your county's ordinances, if they're on-line.
Its really easy to use. If your county does not have on-line codes,
go to your local library or clerk of court for a copy of the local
ordinances. 4) FIND A MODEL ORDINANCE. See our Model Laws page for the best laws to
model yours on. The Helping Animals
website, as well as Unchainyourdog.org, have the ordinances
from other counties listed. Your commissioners want to see what's
going on in other communities and probably write their ordinances
based on one already existing. The original six communities all
enforce the law, as well. 6) KNOW YOUR OPPOSITION. Its important to think about
the type of people or groups that may oppose your ordinance. Know
their arguments and be ready to counter. These might be hunters or
low end breeders, or if you live in Alaska or the cold climates,
sled dog groups. These people have large packs of dogs and
frequently keep them chained. They are a working animal to them, not
a companion. 7) INTRODUCE YOUR ORDINANCE. Find the local
commissioner who has either supported animal friendly laws or
introduced animal friendly laws previously. You can also go to YOUR
local commissioner. If your's is not interested, go to the next one.
Find someone to "sponsor" your ordinance. 9) PUBLIC HEARING. Once the ordinance is introduced, a
public hearing is frequently held. Arrange for speakers on your
behalf from different areas, such as animal control, cruelty
investigators, dog bite victims, or a dog trainer or animal
behaviorist. If there is not a public hearing, just a vote, get as
many people as possible to speak. 10) THE VOTE. When you know the commissioners are going to be voting, get as many phone calls, faxes, letters, emails to go to them as possible. Make sure they know the majority of the public wants this. Enacting legislation takes a long time, maybe even years, but its worth it. Even if you lose, the public will be better educated and you can try again. Heather Carpenter, Orlando, FL Dogs Deserve Better Rep More Advice on How to Get Laws Form
a Coalition Tips on How to Go About Changing
Laws for Chained Dogs Tips from Gloria Zaiger, St. Paul,
Minnesota Suggested Items forYour Chained
Dog Legislaton Packet The facts about Chained Dogs from HSUS Brochures from Dogs Deserve Better Photos and/or video of local chained dogs Signed petitions from local
voters Testimonials from those who have
laws Laws Against Animal Cruelty in Austria Letters from allies, i.e. Humane Officers, Vets, etc. Your proposal, modelled after a successful law in existence elsewhere
Good Article about Children and Dogs "Chaining: Cruel, Unnecessary, and Too Often Overlooked" "Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health" Dog's Need Time Off the Chain to
Learn Good Behavior Center for Disease Control Study UnchainyourDog.org has some recent News Files Dogs Deserve Better is a 501c3 nonprofit education/legislation/rescue organization. |
Julie
Lewin, President of Animal Advocacy Connecticut and founder of
National Institute for Animal Advocacy, serves as advisor to Dogs
Deserve Better:
Get your Copy of The Witness today!
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Contact Info:
Dogs Deserve Better, Inc. • P.O. Box 23 • Tipton, PA
16684 • Toll Free 1.877.636.1408 •
814.941.7447 |
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