She was sent to jail for unchaining a dog who was in horrible shape and taking him to the Vet. Long story but she needs our support.

http://network.bestfriends.org/pennsylvania/news/21377.html

Vicki

This is happening about 40 miles from us in a fairly rural area. The story on the TV news and it's really slanted against Tammy Grimes. The TV news (from that area) stated the vet said the dog was in fine condition. Personally I don't see how a jury could convict her. There's been so much publicity about this I don't know how they found people not aware of the situation. The local paper where I live was more supportive of her--our area immediate area seems much more animal friendly--thank goodness.

It took awhile to find it, buried beneath miles of Google pages supporting Grimes, but here's the other side of the story in the Altoona Mirror.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/502665.html?nav=742

For the record, I'm against chaining dogs up and would not be above liberating one if the circumstances demanded it.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

Sorry Rick. I guess that didn't happen to me when I read it.

Vicki

Oh, don't worry . . . I'm the King Of Google.

I was on a deliberate search for a neutral newspaper link just to see what the other side was saying.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

I'll throw another word of caution in here - I don't believe that most dogs should be chained (though I know a couple that need to be on a tie in a fenced yard because they are fence climbers, diggers, etc - who even when unattended for moments will figure their way out - most of these dogs are super high-prey drive who start out chasing a cat/squirrel/etc and find themselves out of where they are supposed to be.

My feeling in this case (the story has been out there for a while) is that the woman's own vet pronounced the dog to be a bit dehydrated, but in general to be in good health, especially for a dog of 18 years of age. When the health status of the dog was clarified, she should have immedieatly returned the dog to his owners with a heartfelt apology. Instead she kept the dog for several months until its death - then returned the body. This is vigilante justice, no more "correct" or justifible than someone who sees a man running from a bank and shoots him because they perceive that he's a bank robber. Ms Grimes acted on heresay assumptions and I truly believe that she should pay the price for doing so...

Now, that being said - I hear all the time "how skinny Murphy" is. Oh he's so thin, is he a rescue? Have you had him seen by a vet he's really skinny. Wow that dog is really thin does he have worms? Murphy's weight varies between 52lbs and 60lbs. I am VERY careful about how much weight he carries because he's my performance dog - in agility and obedience he has to jump 24" (that's as tall as he is at the withers) - in an average agility weekend he could EASILY jump 100 times, not to mention the gravatational forces he experiences on the A-Frame, the dog walk and to some extent the teeter and 24" table. In obedience he's running and jumping from a standstill (sit) with only a couple of strides between sitting at my side to the jump, a couple more to the dumbbell and the return jump. He often lands 3-4' from me even when I'm 10' from the jump and has to collect himself and sit squarely in front of me. He's an athlete and is in very good body condition.

Too many of the pet-owning population (and even the animal crusaders) are accustomed to seeing really overweight dogs - to the extent that they see a dog at correct weight and think that the dog is malnourished or underweight. So when they see a dog who is a little underweight they really flip.

Not too long ago I was approached by a "neighbor" who I don't know (and obviously they don't know me) who was on some sort of mission to educate me. I don't do a lot of walking in the neighborhood because it doesn't lend well to off-leash exercise that I want my dogs to have everyday. Apparently this misguided woman thought that my dogs never left the property, never got walks and were in general not properly cared for. As you all know, this is not the case - but this was clearly her perception...Where she has been as I'm out in the road training obedience I don't know...

The last point I'll make is that we as dog/cat/hamster lovers need to be very careful with the terminology we use and the cases "we" support. There are a lot of groups out there that have mission statements and objectives to eliminate the domesticated dog (and cat). Look at what HSUS and PETA are advocating - they not only want to abolish the practice of breeding animals responsibly they want every dog, cat, ferret, etc to be sterilized before reaching maturity. IF cities and towns continue to buy into this message, how long is it before you can't buy a golden retriever puppy from a responsible breeder because it's too expensive for the average 1 litter a year breeder who has health clearances and healthy breeding stock to pay the licensing fees to operate "a kennel". We need to remember that we own our dogs - they are property. Theft of property is a crime - bottomline.

Erica (hopping off the soapbox)

It's very easy to jump on a bandwagon, where we are sure that our way is the right way.

In my own opinion, dogs should not be kept chained outside. However, in the area where I teach, we have many immigrants. Many of them believe that dogs should be kept outside, and that they are for the protection of your property.

While we need to educate them, I have seen the love that many have for their dogs, and know that they are doing what they think is right.

One woman I know keeps volunteering to take her neighbor's dog, telling him it is too cold for the dog to be outside.

Whether we do the most good by going for the headlines (like PETA and Greenpeace), or by gently educating, is a subject for debate that is probably outside the scope of this forum.

Regards,

PJ

I don't have a comment about this case. What I will say is that tethering a dog for his/her own safety is different than chaining a dog 24/7 for their whole life!!!!
At my sister's cottage in rural Michigan, I see dogs who spend their whole lives on chains and the only shelter they have is an igloo. I never, ever once saw any person interact with these dogs. Instead they live a life of total isolation, spending their time on a 6 ft chain, in dirt/snow/cold/rain/feces for their entire existance on this earth. I can't even imagine that type of life. It made me very sad. I wished I had the nerve to get a bolt cutter and release them from the chains of hell and set them free!! But, sadly, I didn't.

Jill,

I see the tethering 24 hours a day in my neighborhood constantly. The neighbors across the street from us left their dog like that day and night. I couldn't stand it. I tried to talk to them and they said the dog would bite somebody if she got loose. I said "fix the fence so she can't get out" but they didn't care. They finally moved.

I can't stand to see dogs living like that. It makes me cry when I see that every day. I just want to unchain them and find them a good home. So, I'm for this woman who is asking for support. I think tethering is abusive and nothing else.

Vicki

Vicki~
I don't see those conditions in my neighborhood.......thank goodness. When I go to stay at my sister's cottage, I see it there. I can't handle it either. Each year I went there it was the same..........for years and years and years. Two dogs constantly on a short chain laying in derelict conditions not fit for any animal. But, they had food and water (sometimes!) which was the only requirement necessary. Do you know how cold it gets in Michigan??? It was inhumane, in my opinion and I honestly considered freeing them.......but I didn't. Sometimes I'm disappointed in myself. These people moved too, just last year. I don't know what happened to the dogs. It made me so sad and very angry too. I don't know if what Tammy Grimes did is right or wrong, but I'd like to believe she had the dog's best interest in mind, which may have been more than Doogie's owners did. Of course, that is only my opinion.
Jill

Jill,

I just recieved a picture of the dog that Tammy Grimes unchained. It's a picture of him laying on the ground the day she got him. I'm trying to get it posted on here. I don't think she did the wrong thing.

On one of the "detroit cops" episode they went to visit a dog in 0 temps. The dog had not been fed or had water or shelter. They called the dog to them and he got up and fell back down again. I just couldn't stand it. It was terrible. Had a good ending though. He got a loving home and still trusted people after being treated like that. If I could only be that forgiving.

I'll try to get the picture posted on here.

Vicki

Vicky~
I think this is the pic you're referring to. You'll have to cut and paste:
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/doogie.html

The pictures on that 'dogs deserve better' website are self-explanatory and some of them quite graphic. But unfortunately it's reality.
Jill

Thank you Jill. It's the third one down that shows how skinny he is. Makes me sick. I think the people who are going against her are saying that the dog was perfectly healthy. How can anyone believe them if they see this picture. I sure hope something good comes out of all this.

Vicki