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Get
your
Chain Off 2007 Attire!
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Jenny
Lawson Teen
protests prolonged dog chaining JEFF
PARROTT S SOUTH BEND -- Jenny Lawson isn't the first college student to come home with more liberal views. But how many chain themselves up to their parents' front stoop for 12 straight hours to protest something? Lawson, 19, spent from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday wearing a dog collar that was tethered to the porch of her family's home in the 1200 block of East LaSalle Avenue. It was part of a national "Chain Off 2007" event, in which 99 people in 32 states chained themselves to doghouses or in yards, according to Dogs Deserve Better, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that campaigns against chaining up or penning pet dogs for long periods of time.Lawson, a sophomore at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., said she collected pledges and planned to donate the money to the advocacy group. She first became passionate about the issue as a Marian High School student. On her regular drive to swim practice, she would see the same dog chained up in the front yard of a house on Lincoln Way West in South Bend. "I hated it," she recalled. "It really bugged me but I never did anything about it." Well, actually she stopped at that house one day and the dog's owner agreed to let her take the dog for a walk. Lawson said she doesn't want to come across as a college student merely going through a phase. "I kind of didn't want to do this at first because I didn't want to seem crazy, but then I realized it's about all I can do for chained dogs right now," she said. Asked what she expects from dog owners who lack a fence, must work all day, and have a dog who will tear up the house or relieve itself on the carpet if left inside all day, Lawson had an answer. "I think that's a tough one, but they need to think about things before they get a dog. The dog shouldn't suffer because of them not recognizing the circumstances of their work." Betty Rutkowski, chief humane officer at the Humane Society of St. Joseph County Inc., agreed. Dogs who spend most of their lives on a chain suffer great anxiety, as evidenced by their continuous pacing, Rutkowski said. They also bark more, creating a public nuisance. And if they break free from their chain, they may be more aggressive toward strangers, Rutkowski said. A new St. Joseph County ordinance took effect April 1 that prohibits tethering a dog for more than three hours at a time. Rutkowski said humane society officers have only issued warnings to violators thus far because they want to give the public time to learn about the new ordinance, but next year they will start writing tickets. Rutkowski hopes the ordinance will be another tool to combat dog fighting. People who fight dogs cannot let them run freely together in a yard because they will kill each other, so they often chain them up separately on short leashes, she said. The ordinance only covers unincorporated parts of the county, but the humane society hopes the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka ultimately will adopt similar measures. Last year, California became the first state in the nation to pass a statewide law specifically limiting the amount of time a dog can be tethered to a stationary object. More than 100 local governments have enacted such laws, according to Dogs Deserve Better. Although Dogs Deserve Better also advocates against penning dogs up for long periods of time, Rutkowski said the humane society is OK with that practice -- although it's not as humane as keeping them indoors. The organization recommends buying a four-sided dog kennel with a tarp or shade over it, and keeping plenty of fresh water and food accessible to the dog. Extended chaining can also endanger the dog, Rutkowski said. The organization currently is investigating a case from earlier this summer in which a St. Joseph County woman's dog was strangled by its own chain in the backyard. The woman could face criminal charges in connection with the incident, Rutkowski said. Lawson said friends stopped by throughout the day to keep her company, and she did go inside the house to use the bathroom. "I'm not crazy," she said. Her mother, Mary Jane Lawson, said she is proud of her decision to take part in the national event. "At first I was a little ... surprised," her mother said. "But knowing Jenny, she's probably the most compassionate person I've ever met. She's always loved animals. I love dogs too but she goes that step further. She's trying to make a difference here." Staff
writer Jeff Parrott:
South Bend teen chains herself in dog protest Associated Press, www.indystar.com SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A 19-year-old college student spent 12 hours chained to her family’s porch Saturday as part of a national protest against confining pet dogs for long periods of time. Jenny Lawson, 19, wore her dog collar from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as part of a national “Chain Off 2007” event that involved 99 people in 32 states. Protesters chained themselves to doghouses or in yards, according to Dogs Deserve Better, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that campaigns against chaining or penning dogs for long periods of time. Lawson, a sophomore at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., said she collected pledges and planned to donate the money to the advocacy group. “I kind of didn’t want to do this at first because I didn’t want to seem crazy, but then I realized it’s about all I can do for chained dogs right now,” she said. Lawson said friends stopped by throughout the day to keep her company, and she did allow herself to go inside for bathroom breaks. “I’m not crazy,” she said. Dogs that spend most of their lives on a chain suffer anxiety, said Betty Rutkowski, chief humane officer at the Humane Society of St. Joseph County Inc. They also bark more, and they may be more aggressive toward strangers if they escape. Last year, California became the first state in the nation to pass a statewide law specifically limiting the amount of time a dog can be tethered to a stationary object. More than 100 local governments have enacted such laws, according to Dogs Deserve Better. In St. Joseph County, a new law prohibits tethering a dog for more than three hours at a time. Rutkowski said humane society officers have only issued warnings so far because they want to give the public time to learn about the new law. Next year they will start writing tickets. Lawson first became interested in the issue in high school, when she would drive by the same dog chained in a front yard every day on her way to swim practice. “I hated it,” she said. Lawson was asked what she expects from pet owners who must leave for work but have no fenced-in yard and own a dog that will mess up a home if left inside all day. “I think that’s a tough one, but they need to think about things before they get a dog,” she said. “The dog shouldn’t suffer because of them not recognizing the circumstances of their work.” Lawson’s mother, Mary Jane, said she was proud of her daughter’s protest. “At first I was a little ... surprised,” she said. “But knowing Jenny, she’s probably the most compassionate person I’ve ever met. She’s always loved animals. I love dogs too but she goes that step further. “She’s trying to make a difference here.”
Note from Jenny The
chain off went really well and I received lots of donations from
my friends and family. I don't know how well i affected
the public that drove by, but I think that the newspaper article
written by the South Bend Tribune really got the word out there
about our problem with chained dogs in our community.
We
can now accept donations over the phone If
you'd like to donate via regular USPS mail, you may print
out this
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