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Activists unchain animal issues
By JONNELLE DAVIS
Register & Bee staff writer
March 14, 2006
DANVILLE, Va. - Animals living their lives at the
ends of chains is the
most serious issue facing the animal community in
the area.
That was the consensus of local animal
professionals, activists and
enthusiasts during a meeting Monday night at the
Danville Orthopedic
Clinic. The group came together to discuss their
concerns related to
the care of animals in the Danville-Pittsylvania
County area.
"It's time to put a stop to some things that are
happening in this
area," said Paulette Dean, executive director of
the Danville Area
Humane Society.
To bring her point home, Dean displayed graphic
photos to the group of
about 25 depicting the state of affairs for many
of the area's animals.
There was the chained dog that hung itself trying
to leap the fence to
get a drink of water. There was a picture of a
chained dog lying on its
back with its tongue hanging outside its mouth.
The dog was unable to
swallow. Its owner had placed a clothesline wire
around its neck.
Dean said chained dogs are the No. 1 reason she
and other humane
society staffers are called to intervene in
animal situations.
While the Virginia State Code requires owners who
keep their animals on
chains to use a chain three times the length of
the dog, the Humane
Society will not allow residents who indicate
they plan to chain
animals to adopt them.
Humane society board member Mary Hirtle said the
problem was with
people who viewed animals as property, rather
than "living, breathing,
feeling" creatures.
"They get a pet for all the wrong reasons," said
Hirtle, who also works
with Collie Rescue of the Carolinas.
One participant stressed that the penalties for
those who commit crimes
against animals should be much stiffer. Dean said
Danville had one of
the highest conviction rates in the state in
animal cruelty cases.
The group discussed presenting a plan to Danville
City Council within
the next few months to get all dogs off chains
within the next 10
years. Participants also discussed working
collectively on a brochure
to promote spaying and neutering.
Contact Jonnelle Davis at jdavis@registerbee.com
or (434) 791-7984.
Sally
http://www.pareeste.org
Defending Those Who Cannot Defend Themselves
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ - DDB Rep Puerto Rico
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