08/07/06 Fester Wounds and the Chain Collar in the Flesh
Animal Friends demands the veterinarian inspection and seeks police intervention for chained dogs
Animal Friends organization has requested police intervention at the machinist trade Pati, Ritosin brig 7, Vizinada, Porec and turned a report to the veterinary inspection due to citizens' reports of deliberate abuse of dogs by their guardians.
There are two dogs in the yard, obviously permanently tied, as the ground where they stand on is beaten. The doghouses which were supposed to be a shelter are in fact just four wooden boards - two are floor and the roof, and the other two make side walls, but the front and the back side stay completely open. Besides that, they are smaller than the dogs, so when a dog is inside, one third of its body is always outside.
Both dogs are mongrels - one is black, with short hair; looks like a Labrador. The other one has longer, brownish hair. The dog with longer hair, although he shows signs of asocial behavior (he is suspicious and frightened, like he expects to be hit), kindly comes forward when you approach him. It can easily be noticed that the chain, which is a bit longer then 1 m, has caused terrible wounds. The dog has wounds on his neck oozing with pus, the chain has grown into the skin and flesh so that some parts of the chain aren't even visible, and his movements re-open filthy wounds full of dirt and hair.
The place where those dogs "live" can be seen from the public road. The doghouses are visible too, they are leaning on an old almond tree which is quite sear with almost no branches unable to provide shade. The dogs are placed next to each other, but cannot approach one another because of the chains.
It's important to mention that the guardian is fully notified of the matter, but by saying that he does not care and has no time he has shown that he is deliberately neglecting the dogs and has no intention in doing anything to stop their long-term and constant suffering.
We also suspect that the dogs aren't vaccinated against rabies and have received no veterinary care.
Considering that one of the dogs has open wounds for some time now which exposes him to constant pain and can be fatal, we demand police intervention (Criminal Law, Article 206) to prevent further endangerment of the animals' lives and ensure that charges will be pressed according to the Criminal Law and that an urgent inspection supervision will be conducted which will lead to proper accommodation and care for the dogs, their recuperation, as well as sanctioning of the irresponsible guardian.
Animal Friends, as an adjoined member of the committee for the bringing of the new Animal Protection Act, requested and still requests a prohibition on keeping dogs on chains. The proposal of the organization is:
We propose introduction of Article 48, Item 8 as follows:
Article 48
(8) Its forbidden to permanently keep dogs on a chain or any other kind of tie-down unless they are tied on an extended wire leash which ensures maximum space to move and exclusively serves for their own protection, the protection of other animals or the protection of humans.
Under Austrian law, after which this proposed law is modeled, keeping dogs on chains is completely prohibited.
