by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com
On another cold and snowy night here on LI, my dog does not stay outside too long – as much as he loves the snow – he is out no more than 5 minutes. So I can’t imagine being inside a warm home and having my dog tied up on a horribly inhumane heavy chain that limits the space he can walk around, a rickety dog house, or even worse an open wire crate for him and a frozen water bowl in these below freezing temperatures. Yet one of Long Island’s dirty secrets is that this very prevelant here – and there is no reason for it. There are tremendous rescue groups who go into to neighborhoods across LI and in a non-judgemental way – help the dogs, and educate the owners, provide proper dog houses, straw, light weight humane ties outs, food, water and help teach the owners to bring the dogs in when it is really really cold. Many even provide veterinary care for the pets. If it were not for these rescue groups like, Almost Home Rescue & Adoption, Unchained NY, Guardians of Rescue, Break the Chain and others – many dogs would definitely be dead this winter due to freezing to death.
As you read this and your dog is snuggle at your feet or in one of their many comfy cozy dog beds, (my dog has 3 different beds!), I bet you can not imagine that this happens in many areas on LI. Some of it can be lack of education on the owners part (I know what you’re thinking!), some of it is cultural i.e. the owners are first generation immigrants and that is how they kept their dogs in their countries and don’t know any better, and a lot of it is plain ingorance and animal abuse.
This past Friday, on Valentine’s day nearly 100 people showed up at Blydenburgh County Dog Park in Hauppuage, NY to bring awareness to this problem and to draw attention that not enough is being done by local and state law to protect animals from being left outdoors. The event was organized by Linda Klampfl and her team at Almost Home Rescue & Adoption Inc. of LI and quickly many other rescue groups who work day in and out in the frigid temps to help LI’s chained dogs also joined in on the protest and press conference.
Photo courtesy of Almost Home.
If you read the NYS Argicutliture and Markets law Appropriate shelter for dogs left outdoors, it states:
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, 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.
First how crappy a $50 fine for the 1st offense? 2nd, 72 hours they have to correct it. Think about how cold it is outside with all that snow on the ground?
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 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.
In this day and age, I think the state can come up with a much better law to protect companion animals such as our pets. Or wait how about some free education – or way to help the dogs, owners, etc. like the rescue groups are doing?
I remember watching Animal Planet’s ‘Animal Cops’ and so many times the ASPCA officer’s hands were tied to making an arrest or taking action, because the owner was in within the limit of the NYS law – but the pet was clearly neglected or suffering. When asked about support from officials about the laws, many of the rescue groups in Suffolk county said they sure feel the lack of support from goverment animal organizations.
Linda Klampfl of Almost Home said, “The two key points is that we need stronger, more specific laws and we need an organization who will enforce it. The Suffolk County Police Department tells us to call the Suffolk County SPCA because there is nothing they (SPCD) can do. But the SPCA does NOTHING to prosecute owners or enforce the laws.”
Photo credit, Almost Home Rescue & Adoption, Inc.
by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com
It’s not very often when hunters, animal welfare and animal rights advocates get together to protest against a deer cull. That’s right protested together against the upcoming deer cull set to take place in February on the East End of Long Island. Nearly 200 people showed up on Saturday, January 18, 2014, at the protest which began at Hook Windmill in East Hampton, NY, organized by Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION). The protestors started at Hook Mill and then walked down Newtown Lane to Herrick park. Chanting and along the way, and while passing the high end shops on Newtown Lane, many store owners came out to clap and cheer everyone on – so you can see a lot of people are against the cull.
The deer cull will have federal sharp shooters with silencers and night vision to kill up to 3,000 deer across the South and North Forks in the dark of night. East Hampton, Southold and the Town of Brookhaven are signed up for this. Southampton has still yet to decided (at press time) and thank your Riverhead for not signing on to this and caving under peer pressure. The Long Island Farm Buearu who have secured a grant of $250,000 to have the deer killed have also asked the towns and villages to chip in $15,000 to $25,000 towards this slaughter.
Hunters are protesting because they want to be able to hunt the deer and donate and eat the deer meat, (yuck!) and to keep the population down. And I guesss their argument makes sense, as they have to pay for their licenses to hunt, yet the towns and villages will use your tax dollars to pay the sharp shooters? In speaking with a few residents along the way, they are really agains the cull. A good friend of mine, Todd, who has lived in East Hampton for well over 10 years, he said, “why don’t they just extend the hunting season? Instead they are using our tax dollars, it’s ridiculous.” They could also use birth control efforts like they do on Fire Island to keep the population down, I said.
I am personally not a fan of hunting of any sort and I love seeing deer wherever they are, and lived in Southampton for 6 years, and never had an issue with deer destroying anything where I lived. And isn’t it ironic – that today on my way out to East Hampton, I took the back roads, I didn’t see ONE deer, then on my way back, not only did I take different back roads, but I walked through a wildlife preserve near Sag Harbor, not ONE deer, and didn’t see any, anywhere the rest of the way back.
The towns are estimating that there are 30,000+ deer on both forks and throughout Riverhead. 30,000! Really, how did they count them? Don’t you know deer travel and move around – so how did they come to that number? Where is the proof of this?
People for the cull that live on the east end are claiming the deer are causing lyme disease, damage to their property or crops and car accidents. Yes, there are car accidents due to deer it is sad for both parties involved. And lyme disease is common – but you can get Lyme’s disease from a deer tick on any part of Long Island – as the ticks are also on mice and other smaller animals. Lyme disease is from the tick, not deer! Ever walk through Bydenburgh in Hauppauge with your dog? You are bound to find ticks, yet there are no deer at that park. Gardiner’s Park in Bay Shore, any where really – you can even get a tick on you from your own landscaped backyard. I know someone who got Lyme’s Disease that lives in NYC.
The thought of sharp shooters on the back of pick up trucks, walking around shooting deer at night is just un-nerving. Because that is a safe way to do it, can you hear my sarcasm? For the residents of the east end I would be worried about my personal safety, children’s safety and for my pets safety. What about tourists that are out visiting off season who don’t know bout the cull at night? Not to mention of course the beautiful deer that will pay the ultimate price. This cull, seems like an accident waiting to happen – and this is coming from a complete non-alarmist – but if you really think about how dumb this plan is. There has got to be a better way.
During the protest a local East Hampton resident and his two young daugthers stopped and he said explaining to his girls, “the hunters are hear protesting against the people who don’t want the deer to be killed.” I said, “Actually everyone is here together, hunters and animal welfare advocates, they all want to stop the cull.” He was surprised. We were discussing it along with a few other people and he too said, he doesn’t want it to happen, that he is worried for his and his family’s safety.
The deer are part of the wildlife on our Island, and I think it really sad that our elected officials think this is a good way to do things. We are way too much of a throw away society and this is just another example of it. (Maybe the elected officials can get a grant to clean up our island? Have you driven around anywhere lately – and noticed the TONS of garbage on the side of the road? But hey lets kill deer who are not contributing to the mess or pollution that humans do daily here.)
There are a few law suits fighting to stop this cull, both by hunters and by The East Hampton Group for Wildlife that want to stop this. If you want to get more invovled contact LION by clicking here and ask what you can do to help stop this cull.
Even the littlest protesters where there.
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