Backyard dogs need up-front attention

The nationally known charity Dogs Deserve Better, headquartered in Tipton, Pa., completed a 12-state tour of the southern states, including North Carolina. They had been inundated with calls for help to visit and videotape some of the many areas in our state with chained, lonely and forgotten dogs. They were amazed at the number of even very small breeds, helpless and frightened at the ends of chains! Please visit the “DDB Visits North Carolina” link at www.geocities.com/lgleming/adm/tailofwoe to see some of the heartbreaking stories and pictures and a video of dogs that need our help. The Web site offers more information, as well as a sample letter to legislators.

Dogs should not have to live their entire lives chained or penned like prisoners. Every winter, [dogs] are found frozen to death, while during warmer months they may be left to starve, dehydrate or be eaten alive by fleas. Cities, counties and states (more than 100 ordinances in more than 30 states) have passed laws regulating chaining and penning or banning them altogether. In Hanover, N.C., the chaining of dogs is completely banned.

[Xpress should] consider covering the story of forgotten dogs of North Carolina (many of which live in Asheville and Buncombe County, since neither city nor county currently has an anti-tethering ordinance) to help alert readers to much-needed legislation, as well as what they can do to help chain/penned and forgotten “backyard” dogs.

— Lisa G. Leming
Asheville

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