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COUNTY DOG CHAINING ORDINANCE PASSED!

Monday, August 29th, 2011 was a great day for dogs in Forsyth County! WE WON! Forsyth County now has a tethering ordinance! As anticipated, it was a tight initial vote of 4-3, followed by a stronger 5-2 vote on September 12 (a second vote is required whenever the first is not unanimous.) Thanks to Commissioners Debra Conrad, Dave Plyer, Everett Witherspoon, and Robert Marshall for doing the right thing and voting both times for this ordinance, and to Bill Whiteheart for coming on board for the second vote.

Another HUGE thanks to all of you who took the time to call, email and attend the Board of Commissioners meeting. We sent an unmistakable message to the Commissioners that this community will not tolerate the abuse or neglect of animals, and proved how effective we could be when diverse local animal welfare advocates and groups work together for a common goal!

Please take a moment and send an email with a big thank you to Commissioners Plyer, Witherspoon, Conrad, Whiteheart and Marshall for their support of the dog tethering ordinance and also let them know that their compassionate vote will not be forgotten. It’s easy, just go to: http://www.forsyth.cc/commissioner

Although we are pleased that we finally have a tethering ordinance on the books, the final version does not have the wording that we would have preferred. The original ordinance outlines recommended by the County Animal Control Advisory Board established a clear prohibition on the 24/7 chaining of dogs, with exceptions for temporary restraint and special events. The ordinance passed is not so clearly worded and instead prohibits chaining if it results in negative consequences.

It appears to us, and to some lawyers that we have spoken with, that it is almost if not completely impossible to chain a dog 24/7 and comply with all of these strict conditions. Nonetheless, we have communicated our concerns to the county and stated that we will be watching very closely to see if the ordinance provides the results that we have all come to expect. If not, we are prepared to raise the issue again……but hopefully that will not be necessary.

You can read the entire tethering ordinance at: www.forsyth.cc/animalcontrol

As a result of this ordinance, Forsyth Humane Society, Fur-Ever Friends, Unchainforsyth.org, County Animal Control and other groups are ramping up a community education and outreach program. During the ordinance’s two-year warning and education phase, we will be spreading the word in the community not just about the need to unchain their dogs, but on proper pet care, the benefits of spay/neuter and so on.

For those with financial hardship we are accepting donations for our “fence fund” that provides the materials needed for our volunteer fence-building crews. Donations up to a maximum of $15,000 are being matched by Forsyth Humane Society and Fur-Ever Friends. If you are interested in donating to this restricted fund, or in helping build these much-needed fences, please contact us…………we need your help! (Please click here for more information and to make a donation)

Thanks again to all of you! Without your support, this ordinance would not have passed.

To see some great videos of local fence-building projects, go to www.unchaindogs.net

To learn more about UnChainForsyth, please click here to view an excellent report by Fox 8 News.

WSSU Athletes Join Efforts to Unchain Forsyth County Dogs

Winston-Salem State University athletes found a good cause in need of their muscles, and the young men and women already have made a difference. Last weekend, nine athletes built a fence for a dog that was kept chained in its family’s yard. Now, the dog can run and play freely, and the student athletes are recruiting friends for their next fence build.

The design and volunteer leaders were provided by the Coalition to Unchain Dogs, which builds fences as an alternative way for pet owners to confine dogs to their property.

Jamie Robbins, a sports psychology professor at WSSU and a life-long animal rescuer, was looking for community service activities for her students. Because most of them are athletes, there aren’t many opportunities they can work into their schedules. When Robbins built a fence with the Coalition just two weeks ago, she found that opportunity.

Robbins said the Coalition volunteers told her they are always in need of big, strong people to dig holes for the fence posts. Last Saturday, four basketball players and two football players needed just 45 minutes to dig holes that normally take volunteers two hours to dig. On Sunday, three women athletes joined the group to build the fence in just two hours. The fences are constructed from durable woven wire.

Robbins said she is glad her students had the opportunity to learn about chained dogs and how they can set an example for others in the community. When the fence was finished, the student athletes enjoyed watching the dog running and enjoying its freedom.

“The kids were happy to see it, that they are making a difference,” Robbins said. “They felt really good about it and wanted to do it again.”

Fur-Ever Friends of NC and the Forsyth Humane Society provide money for fence materials through the Unchain Forsyth Dogs Fence Fund. The Coalition to Unchain Dogs and Dogs Deserve Better are working together to build fences for families in Forsyth County. These groups support a county ordinance that would disallow the 24/7 chaining of dogs.

Click here for more information and to make a donation

Dog With Collar Embedded in Neck Revives Forsyth Tethering Law Calls

FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) —

A dog found with its collar embedded into its neck has revived calls for passing tethering laws in Forsyth County.

Charlie, a two-year-old white shepherd, was found chained for so long that his collar was embedded into his neck.

“His neck had grown around it,” Tim Jennings, director of Forsyth County Animal Control, said.

Charlie underwent surgery to get the collar physically removed. He is now under the care of the Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation.

The abuse was reported last Saturday, when the dog’s owner, Stella Reynolds, called it in. Reynolds, who did not want to go on camera, said her sister discovered how Charlie was living, and after seeing it for herself, she called animal control.

Reynolds said she started taking care of Charlie two months ago at the request of a friend who was moving away. Reynolds said she is disabled, and as a result she depended on her child and a family friend to physically care for the dog, Reynolds said.

“[Reynolds] has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty and we are looking for someone of interest that we actually believe handled charlie during the approximate two months she had him,” Jennings said.

Investigators are still looking for another person who could face felony charges in this case.

Forsyth County Experts said this particular case is a reason that the county needs to ban owners from tying or chaining their pets.

“We probably see embedded collars from dogs that are tied out once every two to three months,” Tim Jennings, director of Forsyth County Animal Control, said.

Last year, after years of research, the Forsyth Animal Control Advisory Board recommended that a ban be put in place in the county. Approval of the ban is now up to county commissioners.

If a measure were approved, it would join 12 other North Carolina counties with a tethering ban.

Jennings said it is the public’s responsibility to report abuse, and those who don’t report abuse and are caught could face charges.

“People couldn’t help but know what was happening to him. It happened over a long period of time. You couldn’t help but notice this wound, and his collar was causing extreme pain,” Jennings said.

Reynolds said she also discovered Charlie had been beaten with a broom.

Please go to WGHP-TV for full story.