Tomorrow’s column will discuss the issue. The photos below make up something of a compare-and-contrast essay on the subject, in pictures.

Bart I personally agree with the column, yet, as Patrick is quick to point out, addressing People Problems is every bit as important—if not more important. I understand that Adolf Hitler was very kind to his dogs.

And with that in mind: Dichelle, your encouragement of vigilante violence (pedophiles, doesn’t matter) sounds like a wonderful solution for a nation continually seeing an increasing level of violence. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? Its also so convenient to call for an attack on another person—provided that person is not your own flesh and blood.

I want to give a little different perspective on your article about dogs on chains. 

I am a veterinarian and also raise and train dogs. I have worked with dogs for many, many years and can tell you that in certain cases chains are the best choice for dogs.  Of course some people who chain their pets mistreat them just as some people who keep their pets in kennels or even in their houses mistreat them.  That does not mean all pets chained are mistreated. 

I have a bird, a cat, and several dogs that I raise and train.  Many are kept in the house or kennels, but I have two personal dogs who we keep chained.  The two dogs I chain are a Beagle an a Great Dane.  Why do we keep these two chained?  Because it is better for them and they seem to prefer it.  One beagle, Hammer, is a real nice 4 year old neutered male who absolutely loves attention and gets tons of it.  He will climb any fence, including chainlink, and will escape any enclosure.  He hates being inside, even in the house, and will do anything he can to escape.  He loves being outside on his chain and seems to be happy and content.  He loves to lay in the sun during the winter or shade in the summer.  I have an exercise pen that is almost 5 acres and he gets in the pen to run bunnies and excercise at least a few times a week but when he is not in the exercise pen he wants to be on his chain.  For him being in a house or in a kennel seems like torture, on his chain he seems happy. 

We also keep our Great Dane on a chain.  He is a 7 year old, neutered male, and about 180 lbs.  He is a real lover.  He was given to us 3 years ago by a family that couldn’t care for him and were considering putting him to sleep.  He would destroy their house while they were away and if they put him outside in a chain link kennel he would bark constantly and literally tear holes in the chain link with his massive jaws and escape.  They were at their wits end but loved him and hated to see him put down.  We agreed to take him and both the man and woman cried when they had to give him up.  We got him and put him in a kennel and he immediately destroyed the chain link and escaped.  We put him inside a back room in the house to see if they were correct about him destroying the house and he almost chewed through a door and managed to break a window.  We got a nice 30 foot heavy duty chain and chained him right next to the back porch where he can see when we get home and problem solved.  It has been three years now and he is happy and healthy.  We take him for walks and let him run in my training pen every AM and PM and he is happy as can be.  The only times he even barks is if he thinks we are waiting too long for his morning or evening walk.  He lays in the sun during the day and wanders around on his 30 foot lead and I believe is far more happy than most dogs confined to a house.  I don’t think it would be overstating the case to say that he would probably have been put to sleep by now if we couldn’t keep him on a chain, he would certainly not be as happy. 

Also, I train dogs and sometimes I will have a dog that is afraid of people.  One of the best ways I have found to get the dog over this is to place him on a chain near people during the day where the dog is exposed to many people and can be petted and loved on all day.  This works much, much better than leaving the dog in a house or putting them in a kennel.  On the chain there is no barrier between the dog and the people and the dog cannot run away.  They will generally develop confidence and get over their shyness fairly quickly this way.

I will readily concede that some dogs who are kept on chains are neglected and mistreated, but so are some dogs who are allowed to roam free, kept in kennels, or kept in people’s houses.  The pictures posted certainly make dogs on chains look horrible, but what if you had posted pictures of happy, playing dogs on chains and sick, dying dogs who didn’t have chains on?  Would that have proved the opposite?  In every one of the pictures that you have posted on the blog, if you remove the chain from the picture and have the dog in the same environment wouldn’t the picture still be just as bleak without the chain?

Besides, no one much uses chains anymore, they use very light and flexible cables which are often 20 to 30 feet long and are almost like running free for the dog.  I’ll put it this way, for the two dogs I keep on chains (cable’s) they are the family pets and they would far, far rather be on their cable’s outside than to be locked up in a house.  For them it would cruel if you took their chains (cable’s) away and kept them locked inside. 

I know you mean well in your article, and I do not tolerate animal abuse, but my point is that some dogs really do much, much better on a cable or chain so I am asking you to please think about it a little more before you try to take that option away from those pets.

Thank you,
Randy Pinkleton, DVM
Petersburg, Virginia

Margie,

I never said anything about the people responsible for the dogs in the pictures. Believe it or not, I think they are sadistic pigs who should spend some time being penned up and beaten themselves. I’ve just always found it humorous the way some people are ready to lynch animal abusers but, when confronted with equally sadistic murderers, reflexively revert to wishy washy, ACLU mode.

Not that I don’t understand it. If I ever caught someone mistreating my own ridiculously spoiled and pampered dog, I would become a mob of one myself.

Margie, thanks for the eloquent posts and for sparking something in my thinking. 

I am going to have to do some soul searching about certain attitudes and opinions I have been carrying.  I am an animal lover through and through and cannot bear even the slightest cruelty to any of God’s creatures…. or so I thought… when it comes to pedophiles, rapists and the most deviant of criminals, I generally think they deserve the worst and don’t lose any sleep over the kind of “community justice” they may encounter in jail… “eye for an eye” and all. 

So, I am now wondering if my own values are in conflict?  (Of course, the analogy isn’t perfect because my dog has never sexually abused my cat, but it’s still worth pondering.)  You have made a strong point: Two wrongs don’t make a right.  If I believe dogs deserve better treatment, should I also believe incarcerated sex abusers deserve better?  Hmmmm…….

Rick, you mistake me for an ultra-liberal on every issue if you think I would give a sex-offender, someone almost certain to offend again and again regardless of treatment, a second chance. If it was up to me they would never see daylight again. As for murderers, maybe when they are too old and weak to pull a trigger again. On this issue, you could say that I am about as conservative as you get. But you can not use liberal ideas as an excuse for this type of comparison. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Animals deserve justice too. And no, once incarcerated, I emphaticly would not be in favor of mistreating sex offenders and murderers either. When you render a person or animal helpless, you become responsible for their saftey.

Rick;

Any Sob low-life willing to inflict pain and suffering on an animal would do the same to a human if given the oppertunity. They are of the cowardly breed that beats women and children who can not fight back. Or if female, doubly to be condemned for betraying their roles as life giver and protecter. They do not deserve the designation,‘human’. They deserve a taste of their own medicine. Is there something sacred about humans which makes you think they should not be deprived of their freedom for such a horrendous act? I would remind you that we, too, are of the animan kingdom. My dogs had more of a soul than the people responsible for these depredations.

No, R. Smith, you cannot make this kind of comparison and use it as an excuse to go easy on whoever did this. The terrorists you refer to, if given a fair trial and found guilty are no more deserving of leniency. But I would be no more in favor of their mistreatment as prisoners than I am of the unspeakable starvation and careless cruelty I see here.

Good Googly Moogly!

Margie,

It’s a shame you don’t feel the same way about the head loppers and baby bombers being “tortured” at Gitmo.

Pit Bulls,

There is a reason dogs are “bred”. Breeds are the result of generations of intentionally cultivating specific traits and instincts. Hounds are bred for hunting. Shepherds are bred to herd and protect. Retrievers are bred for their love of water.

Pit bulls are bred to attack and kill. Most dogs will fight to establish dominance or protect territory but, the pit bull is unique. It’s attacks are random and it fights to kill, for the sake of killing. This is the result of generations of intentional pairing to cultivate these genetic characteristics. 

Add to this their popularity among irresponsible people who use them as ego boosters or, an easy way to obtain a played out image of rebellious cool, and you get the problems the breed has today.

Until some way is devised to make these dogs less accessible to irresponsible people, the breed is going to become so notorious that the public will demand an outright ban.

If you want a dog, get one from the pound. They’re the best breed of all.

Margie.

Please dont construe my concern for taking away a persons freedom, as if I have no regard for how people treat animals. 

I anm very concerned about how people treat animals, and it sickens me as much as it does you.
I think we feel exactly the same way.
In fact, I may want to take matters into my own hands if I were to see someone treat an animal like in those photos.

But the rule of law is how we are to live.
Our law enforcement should take care of it.

I just feel differently than you do about how we should punish the offenders.

Anything is OK to punish a person, fines, community service, offender list, etc.

Except, I dont think we should jail people over crimes against animals.

Thats all!

Crimes using animals, send them to jail!

I see liberals all the time looking for ways to keep murderers and sex offenders out of prison with parole and second chances, yet when it comes the the enviroment and animals they hollar for the death penalty.

Please explain?

Patrick, I own two pitbulls. One is a lab/pitbull mix that some family disowned because it was “not a real lab”. I got him from the SPCA. Of all the dogs there, he did not bark, but sat down attentively. The other is a pure pitbull that came from a pitbull rescue group. She still has a lot of puppy in her but she is very sweet.

They are both very nice. I am very careful with them, especially around other people and animals, but they are both very good dogs. They are spayed/neutered.

I did not get either of them because they are pitbulls. I got them because I wanted dogs and they needed owners.

I agree the concept of pets is very weird and that someday, humans may no longer “own’ them. Same goes for children.

An animal reared with love from birth will return that love with unbelievable and totally non-judgemental loyalty and devotion. Can you say as much for many humans? All they ask in return is a little care and attention.

For many of the elderly, their pets are the only things keeping them alive.

Post Your Comments: