City of Weldon Bans Continuous Tethering of Dogs; PETA Offers Animal-Care Tips

With Enforcement to Begin April 1, PETA Offers Counseling Services to Help Families Transition Canine Companions to a Happy Life Indoors

For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

It’s now illegal for dogs to be left chained or tethered and unattended outdoors in the town of Weldon, and police enforcement is set to begin on April 1, thanks to a new ordinance proposed by Police Chief Mark Macon late last year. PETA is offering free and low-cost services to help the town’s citizens comply with the new ordinance and make the community a safer place for humans and dogs alike.

Members of the community are invited to call PETA at 1-800-566-9798 to receive free tips on housetraining, low-cost spaying and neutering services, and other types of assistance.

“Thanks to Chief Macon and Mayor Julia Meacham as well as the commissioners’ votes in favor of this ordinance, dogs in Weldon won’t spend a lonely life chained outside,” says PETA Director Martin Mersereau. “PETA is here to help Weldon residents with housetraining, spaying and neutering, and bringing dogs indoors to live with the rest of the family, where they belong.”

“Chained dogs are more likely to attack passersby, including children, so from a public-safety perspective, it is critical to enact a ban on chaining dogs now, before anybody in Weldon gets hurt,” Chief Macon says. “Mayor Meacham and I will continue to work with PETA to determine the best ways of enforcing this essential new ban.”

Dogs who are chained outdoors are forced to endure all weather extremes, and they spend their entire lives eating, sleeping, and eliminating in the same few square feet of space. Chained dogs are also defenseless, which makes them easy targets for thieves, dogfighters, and neighbors who are annoyed by the dogs’ barking. In addition, chaining dogs—who are highly social pack animals—deprives them of the social interaction that they need, which can make them aggressive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chained dogs are nearly three times as likely to attack as are dogs who are not chained.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.