By Wanda ChowNewsLeader Staff
Oct 19 2005
A dog's life shouldn't involve being tied up for hours on end, decided Burnaby council Monday in passing changes to the city's animal control bylaw restricting tethering

The B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is "very supportive" of the bylaw, said Mark Takhar, manager of its Burnaby branch. "We're against tethering of dogs. We believe it's inhumane.

Dogs are social animals that need to have social interaction with other dogs or people, Takhar explained. Being constantly chained or tethered causes psychological problems in dogs and they can become neurotic, anxious and depressed. Often such dogs become aggressive out of their frustration.

A lot of times such dogs suffer permanent psychological damage, making it very difficult to remediate their behaviour, he said.

According to a city staff report, the BCSPCA has investigated 30 cases of tethering so far this year. "Shelter staff note that while grievous tethering violations are not common in Burnaby, when they do occur, the implications on the dog's health can be significant.

In 2004, a dog was seized from a home where it was continuously tied up, the report said. It was found to be "excessively aggressive" and after a behavourial assessment determined the dog was not adoptable, it was put down

Not only does tethering or chaining cause psychological damage in dogs, it can cause physical harm from the pressure and wear of the collar on the neck. Alternatives to tethering include keeping the dog in a securely fenced-in yard or in a house.

Coun. Celeste Redman expressed concern that in multi-family developments, keeping dogs in enclosed yards is not a real option, but ultimately supported the bylaw.

Coun. Lee Rankin raised the issue with council last winter after receiving a letter from an East Burnaby resident concerned about seeing an animal tethered on an apartment balcony for long periods of time.

While the BCSPCA enforces provincial regulations around animal abuse, there was little directly dealing with the issue of tethering, making enforcement difficult, said the city staff report.

The bylaw amendment will allow animals to be tethered unattended for no more than one hour a day. It also sets out the length of a temporary tether, to provide unrestricted movement, requires that it be affixed to a properly fitted dog collar and be used in a way that doesn't allow the dog to be injured.

Enforcement of the bylaw by the BCSPCA would range from warnings and educating the pet owner to seizure of the dog, depending on the situation. Violations of the bylaw would be subject to impound and sheltering fees and possible cruelty charges against the owner.