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It
barked day and night, in sunshine and in rain. It barked when cars
went by or when the street was deserted.
It
barked 24/7.
When
we moved away, the dog was still barking. But since it did so behind
the wooden gate of a house across the street, we never saw the pooch.
It
would be inaccurate to say we fled Cerritos years ago to escape
that dog, but leaving the pooch sure was a bonus.
The
dog was never walked, as far as we could tell. Nor was it ever allowed
in our neighbor's house. What was the point, we wondered, of having
a dog under such circumstances.
Dogs
as victims
I
remembered that pooch last week when a letter came from a friend,
Miriam Yarden, aka Dog's Best Friend. One of the founders of the
Long Beach Dog Park, Yarden specializes in dog behavior.
The
subject of her letter: barking dogs ignored by owners.
"You
see him in every community," she said, "a dog relegated
to the yard, porch or outdoor run; in effect, abandoned emotionally
and socially. He is fed outside, and on a hot day he may have finished
his water, and his bowl is empty for hours. In winter and rain,
he shivers. In summers, he languishes from the heat. All year round,
he suffers."
At
the dawn of time, she notes, man and dog were partners. Man shared
his food and dry quarters and brought the dog into his "pack'
the family. But you do not have to go far in most neighborhoods
today to find humans who have abandoned the partnership, but still
insist on having dogs. In such cases, says Yarden, the dog can go
in one of two directions.
"He
may become listless, lethargic and emotionally deprived. Or he may
become hyperactive, fearful, noisy and aggressive even vicious.
As
for providing protection, Yarden dismisses the notion. "Dogs
do not protect back yards. They may bark at people, cats, other
dogs, birds, butterflies or falling leaves, but this is not protective
behavior. This is boredom, and an intruder can easily override it
with an offering of food or friendship.
"However,
if the dog has free access to the inside via a dog door, he will
protect the house because it is his den as well. Such dogs are the
best and most reliable protectors. At the same time, they are also
protected from the elements, abusive strangers, dog-nappers and
poison."
Issue
in L.A.
Yarden's
timing coincides with that of the Los Angeles City Council. It voted
last week to draft an ordinance that would ban the practice of permanently
chaining dogs in yards. (No, I don't know if the Cerritos dog was
chained.)
The
impending crackdown has the support of organizations such as the
Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, whose president,
Robert Goldman, has been quoted as saying, "These are the dogs
that bite. When someone ties a dog to a chain in their yard, you've
got a dog that is a time bomb."
Other
cities, such as New Orleans and Washington, D.C., have enacted such
laws. Los Angeles would be the first in California to do so.
And
if L.A. passes the law, can Long Beach be far behind?
Well,
yes. Our own City Council is not famous for jumping on the bandwagon
of progressive legislation. But then, there is always the possibility
that a person with a backyard dog, a 24/7 barker, may move next
door to a council member.
Article
writer Tom Hennessy can be reached at (562) 499-1270 or by e-mail
at Scribe17@aol.com
—Tom
Hennessy can be reached at 562-499-1270 or by email at Scribe17@aol.com
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