Getting that dog off a chain!

Question from Lorie:
My neighbor leaves his dog outside with a short chain and a plastic dog house.
The dog usually gets tangled around the dog house, causing it to turn upside
down, leaving him with no shelter. I rarely see him being fed or watered. What
can I do? I've tried talking to the owners, but they seem unresponsive so far.

From No More Homeless Pets Forum 2/11/05
Articles archived at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/weeklyforum/forumarchives.cfm

Response from Alison Gianotto:
This is a question that comes up almost every week, so you're not alone in your
concerns. When dealing with neighbors, it is always best to try to resolve
things peacefully and amicably first, which it sounds like you're already trying
to do. Naturally, one of the key points is to make sure that your approach is
positive, and that you don't come off sounding critical. The primary goal here
is to get them to bring their dog inside, however they may not be willing to
take that step right away. It can also be awkward (not to mention
counter-productive) to knock on someone's door and lecture them about the evils
of leaving a dog outside all day and night. So instead, you may want to try a
softer approach. Tell them how much you love dogs, and how much you would like
the chance to play with their dog a few times a week or take it for walks. If
you make it seem more like they are doing you a favor by permitting this, it can
sometimes open the doors to further discussions and you may end up being able to
convince them to bring their dog inside later down the line.

This is one of those scenarios where you will usually get more flies with honey
than with vinegar. By seeming grateful for the chance to spend time with their
dog, you lower their defenses, and you may even be able to help them appreciate
what a great dog they have. Very often when dogs are adopted or purchased, they
are given lots of attention. When the novelty of the new pet wears off, they
are condemned to exile in the backyard. If you are able to spend some time with
the dog, you will often be able to form a friendly relationship with the dog's
owners, and help them rekindle their affection for the animal.

Neighbor's reactions to these approaches vary widely, so its hard to predict
exactly what your neighbor will do, but there are success stories that have come
out of this approach. In some cases, the dog's owners changed their ways and
brought the animal inside. Other times, the concerned neighbor simply continues
playing with the dog or walking it; the owner isn't objecting, but they are also
unwilling to rethink their position. In some cases, the concerned neighbor has
even wound up adopting the dog and becoming friends with the neighbor.

There are some excellent tips on how to talk to people about their tethered
animals on http://unchainyourdog.org/. The link also provides suggested
alternatives to tethering, such as traditional fencing, electric fencing and dog
runs. If you can get the neighbor to discuss this with you and it is clear that
bringing the dog inside simply isn't going to be an option, it may help if you
offer to assist them with building or installing one of the alternatives.
http://www.unchainyourdog.org/Talking.htm

You will have to guage their reaction to see if it would be appropriate to do
so, but there is a powerful printable flyer that you can give them or leave on
their doorstep located here:
http://www.helpinganimals.com/pdfs/Miraclebackyarddog.pdf

If they are completely unreceptive with all of the approaches suggested on
http://unchainyourdog.org/ and you are lucky enough to live in an area where
tethering is illegal, the only option you may find yourself with is to call
animal control or humane law enforcement and have them cited. Also check and
see if your town has sheltering laws. If the dog house is constantly being
overturned, you may be able to get humane law enforcement involved that way,
even if there are no provisions against tethering in the local laws.

You can find out more information on the states that currently have some measure
of tethering legislation here:
http://www.helpinganimals.com/a-tether.html
http://www.helpinganimals.com/pdfs/teathering%20_rvsd.pdf

If your area does not prohibit tethering, you may wish to look into what it
takes to get anti-tethering legislation passed in your town:
http://www.unchainyourdog.org/LawsHowTo.htm

You mentioned that you rarely see them feed or water the animal, and while that
is certainly a serious situation, it is important to look at the entire
situation before jumping to any conclusions as to whether or not the dog is
actually being deprived of food and water. What is the condition of the dog?
Does he or she appear skinny or malnourished? If not, there is a good chance
that they may be feeding and watering the animal during times of the day when
you may not be watching. American Humane has a guide on evaluating the sitation
located here:
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hw_help_animal_step1

If the dog does show signs of malnourishment, call your local department of
animal control or humane law enforcement immediately.

Additional Information:
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Feb. 11, 2005