Protesters urge county council
to limit dog chaining

From the Associated Press
Published June 14, 2005

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) - The mother of a toddler mauled to death by chained dogs was among a small group of protesters urging Spartanburg County Council to pass an ordinance that would limit dog chaining.

One councilman has proposed restricting the chaining of dogs to short periods of time and giving police the authority to go after those who fail to comply.

But a majority of council members chose to leave the proposal off the agenda for Monday's meeting. Some council members said the issue shouldn't be regulated by government.

The demonstration outside the council building Monday was organized by Dogs Deserve Better, a Tipton, Pa., animal advocacy organization that has pushed for restrictions on chaining in communities across the nation. The group says tethering is inhumane and makes dogs more likely to be vicious.

We can only hope and pray that council listens to us,' said Crystal Sinclair. Her 2-year-old daughter, Makayla, was mauled by two of her neighbors' tethered Great Danes in October 2003. Two other children in the county have been killed by chained dogs since then.

They kept 10 Great Danes chained in a yard measuring maybe 30 square feet,' Sinclair said. 'They were running an unlicensed puppy farm.'

The dogs that were involved in the attack were put to sleep.

Spartanburg County dog breeder Judy Beltz said chaining does not always cause dogs to become dangerous.