[hha]

Originally Posted by Chrissy0277

http://www.unchainyourdog.org/news/0...ewsRelease.htm

Fourteenth Child Since October Seriously Injured/Killed as a Result of Chained Dog Attacks
Press Release from www.DogsDeserveBetter.com

JULY 22, 2004--The Tuesday, July 20th attack is the latest in a long line of chained dog attacks, and left 7 year old Willie Moore Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina seriously injured, with bites to the head. Another attack last Thursday, July 15th, lead to the death of 2 year old Patricia J. Anderson in Cook County, Georgia. Patricia was attacked and killed by a bulldog mix who was chained behind a house owned by friends of her mother.

Dogs Deserve Better, an organization working to get dogs off chains and into the family, insists that it¹s time American woke up to the dangers of chaining a dog. Dogs are pack animals, and when left alone, chained, and unsocialized to humans, they often become angry; they can and do take this anger out on the children who are unlucky enough to come too close.

Says Tammy Sneath Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, "How many children have to die before people realize this is a serious and nationwide problem? The chaining of dogs has been ongoing for generations in America, and this outdated and irresponsible method of guardianship must stop. Much of Europe has long eschewed the practice of dog chaining; Austria's recent nationwide law prohibiting chaining comes to mind, and it's time America wake up and catch up. Not only is it dangerous and cruel for the dog, but it¹s dangerous for any child unlucky enough to wander into the sphere created by an angry dog¹s chain."

Other nationwide attacks since October 2003: June 6, Emma-Leigh Chambers-Allen, 5, New Mexico, seriously injured. June 17, Kennedy Robinson, 20-months, Mississippi, seriously injured. April 26, Emily Page Stinnett, 4, Kentucky, seriously injured. April, Linda Wiegret, 14-months, Texas, seriously injured. April, Mark Wilson, 8, Illinois, seriously injured. April, Alani Black, 4, North Carolina, seriously injured. February, Trusten Liddle, February saw 17-month-old, Hawaii, killed. January, Kaitlyn Matthews, 5, Mississippi, seriously injured. January, Nathan Roy Hill, 3, North Carolina, killed. October 2003, Makayla Sinclair, 2, South Carolina, killed. October 2003, Jonathan Shane Ivey, 4, Texas, seriously injured. October 2003, Okleno King, 3, Mississippi, seriously injured.

Karen Delise, author of Fatal Dog Attacks, has researched and chronicled the circumstances surrounding every fatal dog attack in the United States since 1965. "Chained dogs have killed at least 109 people. Of the 109 people, 99 were children that wandered into reach of a chained or similarly restrained dog. Another 11 occurred from dogs who were chained and broke free before attacking." She also states in her book: "Statistically, chained dogs are more dangerous than free-running packs of dogs."

America needs nationwide laws prohibiting the chaining of dogs to the nearest tree, post, or doghouse. Dogs Deserve Better has initiated a national petition which currently has nearly 6,000 signatures. The petition is available online at http://www.gopetition.com/online/4021.html, and will be sent to the White House with a plea to the President for change.

Grimes continues, "We must stand NOW to insist on the laws being changed to protect the innocent, both humans and dogs. It¹s too crucial to NOT do so. The lost lives and changed futures of Willie, Patricia, Emma-Leigh, Kennedy, Emily, Linda, Mark, Alani, Trusten, Kaitlyn, Nathan, Makayla, Jonathan, and Oklena depend on it."

To contact Dogs Deserve Better go to their website at www.dogsdeservebetter.com

Tammy Sneath Grimes, Founder
Dogs Deserve Better: No Chains! Make a Dog's Life Worth Living
P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684
1.877.636.1408
814.941.7447

I think we have all agreed, dogs should never be chained up..as far as poisoning, we live in a subdivision out in the middle of nowhere..we know every neighbor, and just about everyone out here has dogs..unfortunately, only 2 houses out here(mine and my groomers) have fenced in back yards. nothing is getting over this fence to my dogs, and my dogs aren't getting over my fence to get to any of the dogs that roam free. We've put over $10,000 in to fencing in the acre out back, plus the large dog run and the shelter my dogs are kept in...we have a thermometer in their shelter that is hooked up to the inside of the house to where we know what the temperature is at all times in their shelter..as I said, these dogs are probably a lot more loved by my hubby than the little ones are..he's good with all of them, but, everyday hes home, he spends a lot of one on one time with the outside ones..dogs adjust to the kind of environment they're brought up in..look at the dogs that pull sleds in Alaska, those dogs (a lot of them) are tied up all winter long..