This week we covered the story of a Plainfield woman who is attempting to get the laws changed in Joliet in an attempt to help prevent Illinois dog attacks and lower the number of aggressive dogs. She asked the city council to consider a law that would ban pet owners from chaining or tethering their dogs.
While some dog owners believe that they are being responsible by chaining their dogs to a tree or post, many do not realize that tethering can actually create dangerous situations for both dogs and humans. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that chaining pets can increase dog attacks.
- Tethering doesn’t keep people away from dogs. Fences keep dogs away from people and people away from dogs. Tethering doesn’t prevent young children or strangers from wandering up to a chained dog that is dangerous or aggressive.
- Tethering puts dogs on the offensive. When a dog is chained or tethered, it can feel vulnerable, protective of its property, and cornered. A dog that may be easy-going while in a backyard can be scared and aggressive when chained.
- Long-term tethering can create aggressive pets. Tethered dogs may suffer from exposure to the elements, long hours without human contact or attention, and lack of mental simulation. Some might even suffer from health problems related to their collar or chain. All of these conditions can cause behavioral problems that can lead to attacks.
- Chaining or tethering can result in escaped pets. All too often when we hear about dog bite cases in which a chained dog pulled its post out of the ground, broke its tether, or slipped out of its collar before an attack. Fencing is a more sure way to keep a dog contained on a property and safely away from others.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a tethered dog – or by a dog that has escaped from its tether – the dog’s owner may be responsible for the damages that resulted from the incident. To learn more about your possible dog attack and injury case, contact the Illinois dog bite lawyers at Keller & Keller today.
