UNCHAIN PA DOGS is dedicated to promoting legislation in Pennsylvania to end the widely tolerated practice of chaining dogs for life, or for extended periods of time.

HB1254 was introduced on April 13, 2009 by Rep. Mario Scavello (R) of Monroe County, PA. It is the third anti-tethering bill to be introduced in Pennsylvania.

HB1254 would limit the number of hours a dog can be tethered outside within a 24 hour period. Dogs would not be permitted to be tethered outside unattended between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. In addition, the following protections would be in place during the hours a dog is permitted to be tethered:
* Tether must not become entangled
* Minimum tether length requirement
* Tow chains are not permitted
* Proper fitting collar or harness
* Protection from direct rays of the sun (requirement for shade)
* Tethering is not permitted when a weather advisory has been issued

As of January 22, 2010, this bill is still awaiting action in the Judiciary Committee. Learn how you can help dogs in Pennsylvania as well as how you can help dogs in your state.

Since Denver reinstated its pit bull ban in 2005, forums and Web sites, including www.denverkillsdogs.com, have cropped up against the ban. According to www.denverkillsdogs.com, more than 1,800 pit bulls have been euthanized in Denver from 2005 to 2008.

The ban prohibits pit bulls and any mix-breed dog determined to be part pit bull. Denver originally banned pit bulls in 1989 after a 54-year-old minister was attacked by a pit bull. A 5-year-old was killed by a pit bull the year before.

Ban opponents say the problem isn’t with the breed, it’s with a small percentage of irresponsible dog owners. Those against the ban say pit bull attacks are rare; data collected for the Coalition for Living Safely with Dogs, which is comprised of animal control agencies and others, found that among the 129 different breeds of dogs that bite in Colorado, no one breed bites more than others.

Many against the ban say that the answer is dog behavior education and neuter control. If you want to learn more about breed specific bans and alternatives, listen to the latest episode of the Dog Doctor Radio Show, hosted by well respected canine behaviorist Dr. Robert Forto and is presented by Denver Dog Works in Colorado.

Linda Hart, an Englewood resident who doesn’t own a pit bull but who his helping organize the protest, is working with Denver City Councilwoman Carla Madison of District 8 on a proposal to relax the law. Among other things, the proposal would require pit bull owners to pay a $50 fee for a pit bull permit, buy a homeowners or renters insurance policy worth at least $1 million and dogs would have to undergo temperament testing.

For more information, call Sherri Moore at 303-396-5327 e-mail jan@denverkillsdogs.com.

S.B. 460, intended to crack down on abusive puppy mills, passed the state senate by a vote of 23 to 22.

The bill calls upon the Department of Agriculture to establish basic humane care standards. It requires facilities with more than 10 female dogs and more than 30 puppies to register with the state, undergo yearly inspections and provide proper veterinary care.

The Humane Society of the United States applauded the bill’s passage.

In February, The HSUS and local authorities rescued more than 300 dogs from two abusive North Carolina puppy mills. The dogs were housed in filthy, cold, cramped cages without access to exercise, adequate veterinary care, or human contact. Many of the dogs were covered with feces and suffered from severe skin and eye infections. Some had chain collars embedded in their necks.

A similar bill was passed in Virginia in 2008 after a large puppy mill raid there.

A World War II veteran who was held for a year in a Nazi prisoner camp has made it his mission to help supply wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with service dogs.

Irwin Stovroff, the recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross, was shot down behind enemy German lines on his 35th bombing flight. He threw his dogs tags away before his plane crashed to hide his Jewish faith from his captors.

Stovroff, 85, of Boca Raton, Florida, has raised nearly $2 million dollars to help train and match up service canines with wounded combat vets. He is also pushing lawmakers for federal funding to finance the program.

“It is a shame.” Stovroff says about the lack of an official federal program that pairs up battle-injured veterans with guide and therapy animals that can greatly improve their rehabilitation. “I wanted to do something about it.”

And his efforts are beginning to pay off. Earlier this month, Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) introduced legislation to help train guide dogs and other service animals for wounded veterans. The Wounded Warrior K-9 Corps Act would establish a grant program for organizations that provide wounded warriors and disabled veterans with service animals.

Stovroff says dogs can help the injured soldiers in a number of ways.

“The dog can become his eyes. He can become his legs. He can bring him anything he needs.” Stovroff said. “A dog is probably the best thing that can happen to these soldiers … They need a guide (but) they need the help and love of a dog as well.”

READ MORE ABOUT Stovroff and his mission to help vets

In an opinion piece published Monday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Franken proposed a pilot program that will train “a statistically significant number of dogs,” put them to work and measure the benefits they provide to veterans living with devastating war injuries.

Franken believes the dogs’ companionship provides invaluable health benefits and help “reduce the suicide rate among veterans, decrease the number of hospitalizations and lower the cost of medications and human care.”

Franken said service dogs typically cost about $20,000 to train and another $5,000 to place with a veteran. He believes that a service dog will more than pay for itself over it life time and provide service dogs to hundreds of veterans.

According to Franken, the legislation was inspired by a meeting he had last January with a wounded former Iraqi intelligence officer and his golden retriever, “Tuesday.”

Rep. Beth McCann will hold a news conference on the west steps of the Capitol at 11:30 a.m. today.

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Also if you want to do more, The Humane Society of the United States and the Colorado Humane Voters League invite you to participate in the Colorado Humane Lobby Day in Denver to make a tremendous difference for animals. It will be at the First Baptist Church of Denver, 1373 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203 on Feb. 12, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

This is an opportunity to meet directly with elected officials or their staff about legislation that will significantly impact animals. There will be a briefing on tips for lobbying and an overview of pending animal legislation which will prepare you to meet your elected officials and advocate for animals. R.S.V.P. today to lend your voice for animals and make a difference in Colorado.

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Thanks to the work of Legislative Alert Network, we learned about Colorado House Bill 1095, which would encourage the return of live greyhound racing to Colorado.

Colorado Representative Randy Baumgrdner has introduced HB-1095, which would provide a tax incentive for live greyhound racing to return to Colorado. It would also make dog tracks more profitable by allowing them to simulcast more races from other states.

Greyhound racing has seen a rapid decline in popularity in recent years, and tracks in Colorado stopped holding live races in June of 2008. This bill is an attempt to prop up a dying industry; one that is out of step with a society that sees dogs as family members, not disposable sources of entertainment. Dog racing is currently illegal in 35 states and Massachusetts voters recently approved a ballot initiative to phase out dog racing by 2010.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
The House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on HB-1095 this Wednesday, January 21. Please contact your Colorado STATE representative and ask him or her to OPPOSE House Bill 1095!