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Get
your
Chain Off 2007 Attire!
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Nancy
Green from Atlanta, Georgia Dog lovers put on chains to make case against tethering pets The
Associated Press - ATLANTA Nancy Green is the first to say she wasn't excited about the idea of sitting outside in Saturday's heat. Especially with a chain around her neck. Even if Green wanted to move, the chain stopped her after a few steps. If she moved too much, soon she'd have the chain in knots, further limiting her movement. If Green looked miserable, then her day was not wasted. She and other members of Dogs Deserve Better hoped to personify the misery they say dogs tied to chains suffer across the nation. "It's definitely outlandish; that's what it's supposed to be," said Green, who lives in Atlanta, of the weekend event. "We're symbolizing what it's like for an animal left alone on a chain 24-7. "Even people who don't want a dog in the house, just imagine what it's like without shelter. It's just a horrible life." Dogs Deserve Better held its fifth annual "Chain Off" event to make the point that dogs should not be kept chained or penned on a regular basis but instead should be allowed more freedom in fenced areas or indoors. Last year, California became the first state in the nation to pass a law limiting the time a dog may be tethered to a stationary object. In Georgia, Gwinnett County and the city of Gainesville have adopted anti-tethering laws. Officer Joey Brooks of Gwinnett County Animal Control says the county's new law, which took effect in January, pertains to any animal. "It is unlawful to restrain or anchor a pet with a chain, rope or cord unless it is being held by a person," Brooks said, adding the reaction to the law has been "pretty positive." "It's enforced by citations," he said. "We will give a notice. They have a certain period of time to put the pet behind fence or an underground fence." Any pen containing a pet must by at least 10 feet by 15 feet, according to Brooks. "Nobody has said 'I'm not going to do it,'" he said. "We'll work with people since it's fairly new law." Green, who lives in Gwinnett County, says she's proud of the new ordinance but would like to see more protection for dogs in other counties and states. "I'm proud to say we're the first county in Georgia that has banned all tethering," Green said. "That's pretty extreme. Some places just limit the tethering." Dogs Deserve Better founder Tammy Grimes traveled to Atlanta from Tipton, Penn., to spend 28 hours in chains. "By putting ourselves in the place of the dog, people can see how inhumane it is," Grimes said. "They realize it's pretty inhumane for dogs as well." Green said she planned to return to Piedmont Park for a second day in chains on Sunday. "I'm excited," she said. "Either that or I'm insane." We
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