Lexington, KY - In the February issue of this magazine I introduced readers to a local animal advocacy group, SOAR (www.speakoutandrescue.org), and its efforts to facilitate passage of an ordinance banning the unattended chaining or tethering of dogs in Fayette County. In addition to educating pet owners and improving the quality of life of many dogs in central Kentucky, SOAR volunteers have gathered over 700 signatures on their Chain-Free Lexington petition. Hundreds of concerned Lexingtonians have also voiced their opinions to LFUCG council members and the Lexington Humane Society.
Unfortunately, on April 7 our efforts fell on deaf ears as the Services Committee of the LFUCG voted down the proposed ordinance. Specifically, the 10-member committee voted against presenting the proposal for consideration before the full council. The committee cited several reasons for their decision including concerns about enforcement and fairness, as well as the fact that there are already animal cruelty laws on the books in Fayette County.
I attended the subcommittee meeting last fall that voted to send the ordinance before the full Services Committee and I attended the Services Committee meeting on February 12, 2009. I was, frankly, surprised at the lack of support from the Lexington Humane Society last fall. Since then LHS has at least adopted the formal position that they support a chaining ban, albeit with certain allowances. However, I have so far been underwhelmed by their actual support before council members. The full and sincere support of LHS would add a lot of political weight to the proposal.
Likewise, I was disappointed when one council member voiced his reluctance to support the ban because, as he put it, "Who's to say what is or isn't humane?" In his defense, it is a simple question. The answer is equally simple - we are. Unfortunately, our elected council members chose to ignore the outcry of many Lexingtonians calling for support of this ordinance.
I also understand that some council members have concerns about funding in our present financial climate. However, many communities around the country, including Louisville and Jefferson County, have already proven that such ordinances do, in fact, generate revenue while helping to ensure the safety of the citizenry and eventually decreasing the workload of animal control officers.
Communities in 30 states and the District of Columbia have realized that banning unattended chaining facilitates simplifies the handling of many other animal cruelty issues. Meanwhile, Kentucky has earned the title of No. 1 state in the nation for animal abusers to live because we have the weakest laws.
Eliminating unattended chaining would directly lead to a decrease in nuisance barking and vicious dog attacks, two ordinances that are already on the books in Fayette County but, by the admission of LFUCG officials and Animal Control Officers who were present at these meetings, go unenforced.
It is now obvious that our LFUCG council will not address this issue and pass an ordinance banning the unattended chaining of dogs unless we encourage them to do so. If you support this ban please let your council member know that you want it passed. Please call your council member at (859) 258-3200 or e-mail them at councilmembers@lfucg.com.
If your council member is Julian Beard or Diane Lawless, thank them for their efforts and ask for their ongoing support. If your council member is K.C Crosbie, Doug Martin, Peggy Henson, Ed Lane, Cheryl Feigel, Jay McChord or George Myers, ask them to support the ban and let them know how you feel about the issue of chained dogs. If your council member is not on the Services Committee, ask them to support the ban in full council and to let Service Committee members know how they feel. Also, all of us need to encourage at-large council members Jim Gray and Linda Gorton to follow Chuck Ellinger's lead in making our city safer for people and more humane for dogs.
I love Lexington and I see our community as a beacon for the rest of the state. I want us to be among the first to say, "This isn't right and we won't stand for it." It doesn't take a genius to see that tethering a dog to a steel drum with a logging chain in the middle of a dirt lot is wrong. It is inhumane to the dog and dangerous to people. You may think this only happens in rural Kentucky, but you would be wrong. It happens right here in Lexington, downtown off of South Broadway, on the north side off of Russell Cave Road and probably closer to you than you think.