Ban Chaining Up Dogs in Marion County, Florida!

Members of Marion County, Florida recently gathered before their county commissioners in a packed auditorium in support of a proposed ban on chaining up dogs.

The county members delivered impassioned speeches about the suffering chained dogs endure and presented videos, including a heart-wrenching video of chained dogs in their own county. Prominent local figures, including a mayor, police chief, school board member, and Humane Society director, weighed in as advocates of this law — as did a veterinarian, mental health expert, and animal cruelty investigator.

But after all that, the Marion County commissioners mysteriously refused to create a no-chain law.

There are examples right in Marion County to demonstrate that chaining dogs is bad for both the dogs and for humans. In 2010, a 3-year-old girl was mauled to death by chained family dogs. This cruelty is leaving dogs emotionally disturbed and dangerous to us.

If an auditorium full of people won't convince the county commissioners, we need to send the message even louder and more forcefully: Urge the Marion County commissioners to ban chaining dogs now!