Lee Rankin introduced this motion at the Burnaby Council Meeting on January 17th, 2005.

NOTICE OF MOTION RESTRICTION OR ELIMINATION OF TETHERING OR CHAINING OF DOGS

WHEREAS RECENT SERIOUS DOG ATTACKS ON PEOPLE IN B.C. AND CANADA HAVE HEIGHTENED PUBLIC CONCERN FOR THEIR PERSONAL WELL-BEING AND THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS;

AND WHEREAS SOME ANIMAL EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT THE PROTRACTED TETHERING OR CHAINING OF DOGS CAN CAUSE DOGS TO BECOME VICIOUS; AND WHEREAS SOME ANIMAL EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT THE PROTRACTED TETHERNG OR CHAINING OF DOGS IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF DOGS;

AND WHEREAS NUMEROUS NORTH AMERICAN JURISDICTIONS HAVE ENACTED PROVISIONS TO PROHIBIT OR LIMIT THE TETHERING OR CHAINING OF DOGS; AND WHEREAS BURNABY ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW 1991 - No. 9609 DOES NOT MAKE PROVISION FOR THE PROHIBITION OR LIMITING OF TETHERING OR CHAINING OF DOGS;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT BURNABY COUNCIL REQUEST STAFF PREPARE A REPORT PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE ADVISABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF MAKING PROVISION IN BURNABY ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW 1991 - No. 9609 WITH RESPECT TO THE PROHIBITION OR LIMITING OF TETHERING OR CHAINING OF DOGS.

COUNCILLOR LEE RANKIN JANUARY 17, 2005

Background Information

Current Legislation on Tethering Dogs, Helping Animals.com

"The general consensus is that chaining a dog for long periods of time makes it aggressive. There are even tracts which were found in the ruins of Pompeii suggesting that the way to make your guard dog vicious is to tether him to a short chain.

If you believe anecdotal evidence (this from my own eleven years of teaching dog obedience classes), dogs which have been tied out are either vicious, fearful and hand-shy or both."

- Dr. Stanley Coren, U.B.C. animal psychology expert.

"Dogs have all the social needs that wolves - and, in fact, humans - have. One way that wolves severely punish a pack m ember is ignore the animal…dogs experienced their prolonged chaining and separation of the 'family/pack' as rejection. Dogs treated like this probably are depressed.

Some become aggressive, but more typically the dogs will become lethargic and listless… They may suck or chew on themselves, sometimes causing serious injury…When we deprive animals of their instinctive behaviours; we create neuroses or even psychotic-like conditions. For dogs, prolonged chaining is emotional abuse."

- Dr. Theo Capaldo, Past President, Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals