Pennsylvania’s ban on continuously chaining dogs has passed the state Senate — but it can’t move forward until the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin), facilitates formal discussion of the bill.
That’s why last week, television icon and lifelong Republican Bob Barker sent Rep. Marsico a letter on PETA's behalf stressing the urgent need for the tethering ban.
“Studies show that continuous chaining makes dogs more likely to attack, sometimes fatally. Tragically, the victims are often children,” writes Barker. “In response to these humane and public-safety concerns, nearly 20 states have passed tethering laws. It’s time for Pennsylvania to follow suit and protect the most vulnerable among us: our companion animals and our children.”
PETA — whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” — notes that dogs who are chained outdoors are forced to endure all weather extremes, and these highly social pack animals spend their entire lives alone, eating, sleeping, and eliminating in the same few square feet of space. A study co-authored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chained dogs are nearly three times as likely to attack as dogs who are not tethered.
