Good news for dogs in Seminole County
October 18th, 2007 by admin
At its meeting on Tuesday night, the Seminole County Animal Control Board voted to move forward with a new ordinance that will limit the confinement or tethering of dogs outdoors. The County Commission will vote on the proposed ordinance at an upcoming meeting.
If the ordinance is enacted, Seminole County will join Orange County and Palm Beach County in restricting the chaining of dogs (Okaloosa County prohibits the chaining of dogs entirely!). The cities of Fort Lauderdale, Dania, Hollywood, Oakland Park and Pembroke Park have similar ordinances.
Continuous chaining is bad for dogs. Dogs are very social animals who suffer from isolation. Chained dogs are much more likely to become aggressive. In addition, dogs confined on chains are at risk of becoming tangled and injured, are more likely to have skin problems and problems with parasites, and are often exposed to bad weather.
You Can Help
-Please vote “yes” in the WFTV Ch. 9 poll, “Do you think it should be illegal to leave a dog chained in a yard?”- Contact the Seminole County Board of Commissioners and urge them to support the proposed ordinance.
Write to:
Carlton D. Henley, Chairman: gvenn@seminolecountyfl.gov,
Brenda Carey, Vice Chairperson: alockhart@seminolecountyfl.gov,
Dick Van Der Weide, Commissioner: deswine@seminolecountyfl.gov,
Michael McLean, Commissioner: fmacdonald@seminolecountyfl.gov,
Bob Dallari, Commissioner: dmerkt@seminolecountyfl.gov-Approach your city or county commissioners about enacting an ordinance to prohibit the cruel chaining of dogs. Often all it takes is one outspoken individual to make a positive change for animals. ARFF can help by providing you with model ordinances, and by mobilizing compassionate individuals in your community.