The following is a summary of a letter received from Senator Mike Brubaker to Mike Romberger- a guest on my last tv show-concerning SB 1435- Anti-Tethering Legislation. Tami Thayne has been chained to a dog house on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg since August. She was promised a bill this past Spring which never materialized. She is trying to gain the attention of the legislators since all other attempts have failed to get this important piece of legislation passed. This bill would protect dogs who are chained 24/7 for their entire lives. They are not only tethered to their dog boxes, trees or poles but tethered to a life of a miserable and lonely existence. Read what Senator Brubaker has to say about tethered dogs in PA and you decide how our legislators not only think but what they are doing on behalf of us, their constituents.
A Note from Senator Brubaker
by Operation Fido’s Freedom on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 6:01pm
Last week, my wife, Stacey, received a follow-up letter from Senator Brubaker. In the letter, he summarized SB1435. He then went on to state that it is already illegal in PA to withhold food, water, shelter from a dog. The same goes for allowing a dog to freeze outside. Overall, Senator Brubaker’s letter was well written and somewhat insightful. Unfortunately, the letter continues to demonstrate that the Senator does not understand the meaning of this Bill or dogs in general. Since Pennsylvania considers dogs to be livestock, I am disappointed that the chairman of the Senate Agricultural and Rural Affairs committee knows so little about his district’s most popular cash crop.
In this letter, Senator Brubaker implies that SB1435 is unnecessary since there are existing laws that protect chained dogs and it is not his fault that the Humane Officers and police do not enforce those laws. Despite our previous efforts, the Senator fails to recognize that it currently illegal in PA (and pretty much everywhere) to trespass on another’s property. This is a law that Ms. Thayne is all too familiar. Our current laws have created a virtual Catch-22. We are to contact Humane Officers and police when dogs lack water or food, but we cannot enter the owner’s property to see if this is true without the risk of arrest. Worse yet, in PA, municipal police rarely engage in pet issues and rely on Humane Officers. Unfortunately, Humane Officers are rarely municipal employees, but rather employees of non-profit organizations like shelters or rescue groups. At my local humane society, one humane officer is expected to cover more than three counties and respond to more than 3,000 calls per year. It is easy to see why chained dogs fall through the cracks.
Also, just to be clear, SB1435 would have clarified that water would be potable. By today’s standards, a dog must have water; it just doesn’t need to be potable. Imagine that!
Worse yet, Senator Brubaker didn’t even try to address the public safety issues. I won’t say that the Senator doesn’t care about children. I’m pretty sure he does, he has children of his own. The reason it is not addressed is because this stance cannot be defended. In PA, as in almost every state, chained dogs harm children several times each year. And, those are just the cases that make it to the media. Since August 3, 2010, Ms. Thayne has reported three separate incidents of chained dog attacks in Pennsylvania. Sure, I realize that chained dogs make up less than 10% of all dogs, but they are responsible for 25-30% of all reportable bites. Our lawmakers fail to recognize this public safety issue. Far fewer Toyotas reported acceleration issues than chained dog attacks each year, but the government was very quick to address the issue with Toyota. From my perspective, there seems to be little concern from the majority of our lawmakers that a chained dog may harm children (and adults). I can only hope that all children remain safe after the PA Senate adjourns for the year.
If you are inclined to contact Senator Brubaker, I have posted his mailing address, email and phone numbers.
Mike Brubaker, Committee ChairSenate Box 203036Harrisburg, PA 17120-3036
Or 301 East Main StreetLititz, PA 17543
717-787-4420; 717-627-0036mbrubaker@pasen.gov
Please remember to be polite and respectful in your correspondence.
FYI- Senator Brubaker is up for re-election November 2nd but is running unopposed.