by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com
While many of us who treat our dogs like kings, (or queens) may never understand why any dog owner would treat their dog this way. For some it is the way they were raised, their culture (where dogs are considered outside animals), or just lack of education on dog care – and for many it is a lack of money to properly care for their pets – but many of the owners say they do actually love their dogs. I know what you are thinking, but many rescue groups that work in these communities report that educating the dog owners, and helping them is what helps people see the light and bring their dogs inside, get them spayed and neutered and want to learn more about dog care. And many are willing to do this because they have been shown a better way by kind dedicated people who want to help. These unbelievably amazing rescue groups who instead of going and telling the people in the communities everything they are doing wrong, they go in to help the dogs, educate the owners and families and even the communities in which they reside. Often the animal rescue groups often end up helping the the humans in the families too, just an incredible bunch of volunteers.
I have said for years, that education is the key to anything in life, and if it goes to help the dogs in these photo’s and their owners – I applaud the groups like, Almost Home’s Training Wheels Program and Break the Chain.
So if you are sitting there reading this and want to know how you can help Almost Home needs hay and you can contact them by clicking here and the sooner the better with Hay for our temperatures are going to stay very cold for the next 5 days. The difference in a donation of hay and/or a dog house, can mean the difference in a dog living through this extreme cold. Both groups are always in need of donations throughout the year, please contact them to help! See end of this article for locations to drop off donations for Break the Chain.
Photo Credit: Almost Home Training Wheels Program
This picture was just taken recently in a community on Long Island, not somewhere in the south or in the middle of the country, but right in our own backyard. As a dog owner, who’s dog has four different dog beds, one upstairs, downstairs and two in my office – I can’t imagine the thought of tying my dog up, and leaving him out side with just a dog house to survive the frigid temperatures we are having. It was 9 degrees when I woke up at 7am today and when my dog went out, he was out for a quick minute and was shivering when he came back in. However what you may not realize is that the dog picture here is allowed to legally be kept outside like this. Why? According to the NYS Agriculture and Markets Article 26, the dog owner has to provide proper shelter to keep the dog from inclement weather with proper insulation, (like the igloo dog house picture here), hay or straw to help keep him warm, fresh food and water to be keep outside. So by law, the owner of dogs like this, are abiding the NYS law.
NYS Agriculture & Markets Law:
§ 353-b. Appropriate shelter for dogs left outdoors. 1. For purposes of this section:
(a) “Physical condition” shall include any special medical needs of a dog due to disease, illness, injury, age or breed about which the owner or person with custody or control of the dog should reasonably be aware.
(b) “Inclement weather” shall mean weather conditions that are likely to adversely affect the health or safety of the dog, including but not limited to rain, sleet, ice, snow, wind, or extreme heat and cold.
(c) “Dogs that are left outdoors” shall mean dogs that are outdoors in inclement weather without ready access to, or the ability to enter, a house, apartment building, office building, or any other permanent structure that complies with the standards enumerated in paragraph (b) of subdivision three of this section.
2. (a) Any person who owns or has custody or control of a dog that is left outdoors shall provide it with shelter appropriate to its breed, physical condition and the climate. Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation,
Article 26 AGM 01/11
punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars for a first offense, and a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars for a second and subsequent offenses. Beginning seventy-two hours after a charge of violating this section, each day that a defendant fails to correct the deficiencies in the dog shelter for a dog that he or she owns or that is
in his or her custody or control and that is left outdoors, so as to bring it into compliance with the provisions of this section shall constitute a separate offense.
(b) The court may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of any fine imposed for a violation of this section by the amount which the defendant proves he or she has spent providing a dog shelter or repairing an existing dog shelter so that it complies with the requirements of this section. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the seizure of a dog for a violation of this section pursuant to the authority granted in this article.
3. Minimum standards for determining whether shelter is appropriate to a dog’s breed, physical condition and the climate shall include:
(a) For dogs that are restrained in any manner outdoors, shade by natural or artificial means to protect the dog from direct sunlight at all times when exposure to sunlight is likely to threaten the health of the dog.
(b) For all dogs that are left outdoors in inclement weather, a
housing facility, which must: (1) have a waterproof roof; (2) be structurally sound with insulation appropriate to local climatic conditions and sufficient to protect the dog from inclement weather; (3)
be constructed to allow each dog adequate freedom of movement to make normal postural adjustments, including the ability to stand up, turn around and lie down with its limbs outstretched; and (4) allow for effective removal of excretions, other waste material; dirt and trash.
The housing facility and the area immediately surrounding it shall be regularly cleaned to maintain a healthy and sanitary environment and to minimize health hazards.
4. Inadequate shelter may be indicated by the appearance of the housing facility itself, including but not limited to, size, structural soundness, evidence of crowding within the housing facility, healthful environment in the area immediately surrounding such facility, or by the appearance or physical condition of the dog.
5. Upon a finding of any violation of this section, any dog or dogs
Article 26 AGM 01/11
seized pursuant to the provisions of this article that have not been voluntarily surrendered by the owner or custodian or forfeited pursuant to court order shall be returned to the owner or custodian only upon proof that appropriate shelter as required by this section is being provided.
6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any protections afforded to dogs or other animals under any other provisions of this article
You can drop off donations for Break the Chain to the following locations, they always need dog food, bully sticks, hay and contact them to find out what else can be donated:
Armellino’s
Melville Rd. Huntington Station
Directly across Jericho Turnpike from Peter Andrews
9 Cliff Ave.
Sayville, NY 11782
151 Pine Acres Blvd.
Deer Park, NY 11729
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