Dr. Sara Pizano, Director of Miami-Dade County Animal Services, has announced, proposed anti-tethering legislation will be considered in a public hearing by the County Commission's Public Health and Safety Committee on September 11, 2008 at 2 p.m. EST.  Plan to attend!

The proposed ordinance has passed the first reading and if the legislation passes the committee, it could be voted on at the October 2, 2008 meeting of the county commissioners.

Click here for a copy of the proposed ordinance.

Click here to contact Miami Dade County Commissioners. Urge them to support the anti-tethering ordinance.

Talking Points for Your Letters/Faxes/Emails to County Commissioners

Tethering or chaining dogs causes them to become frustrated, neurotic and aggressive. A CDC study found chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has also declared, "Never tether or chain your dog because this can contribute to aggressive behavior." Chained or tethered dogs present a danger to the community. 

Another policy consideration is the inordinate amount of time and other resources animal control must devote to answering calls about cruelly chained dogs and trying to educate pet owners about the harm that comes from this practice. If chaining and tethering is illegal, those animal control resources can be spent elsewhere.  And a ban on chaining and tethering can aid in enforcement of dog fighting laws. Law enforcement can use the ban to go after dog fighters  because many of their dogs are kept on chains.

It should be noted the USDA issued a statement in the July, 1996 Fed. Reg. "Our experience in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act has led us to conclude that continuous confinement of dogs by a tether is inhumane. A tether significantly restricts a dog's movement. A tether can also become tangled around or hooked on the dog's shelter structure or other objects, further restricting the dog's movement and potentially causing injury."  Subsequently, in 1997 the USDA issued a regulation banning organizations and people subject to the AWA from continuously chaining dogs.

The City of Miami recently passed an anti-tethering ordinance. A growing number of states and local governments are moving to protect their citizens with anti-tethering laws.

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Click here for more information. And go to Dogs Deserve Better, www.dogsdeservebetter.org an organization dedicated to ending the tethering and chaining of dogs.