Animal rights group calls for tougher tethering regulations

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia animal rights advocates hope the death of a rescued dog in Cumberland County will inspire a change in laws.

Joan Sinden, founder of No Chains All Love Nova Scotia, is calling for stronger protection for dogs that are tethered outdoors after a dog named Buddy was euthanized over the weekend.

The animal rescue offers to find new homes for dogs that are left chained outdoors. The dogs can sometimes be surrendered by their owners, or the group will offer to buy the dogs from the owners.

“Stories like Buddy’s are not the norm. Stories like Buddy’s usually end with them being re-homed and having fabulous lives,” she said.

According to Sinden, Buddy had spent most of his life chained to a doghouse. His owner had moved away and a neighbour had apparently fed the dog for seven years.

Concerned citizens called the local RCMP and SPCA, in hopes of having Buddy seized. However, officers could not legally seize the dog because it had proper food and shelter.

Last week, after months of appealing, Buddy’s owners agreed to let him go for $200. But when volunteers took him to a veterinarian, they received horrible news.

“They found out he had a large tumour on his belly and that it was most probably cancer and that he was dying and that it was just best to put him to sleep,” Sinden said.

As news of Buddy’s death spread, an online petition was started to call for change to animal cruelty laws.

“I hope that Buddy hasn’t died in vain”

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Nova Scotia Opposition leader Jamie Baillie is the MLA for the area where Buddy was found. He says efforts to save Buddy were “frustrating” for everyone involved.

“At the end of the day, this kind of activity — a permanent tethering of an animal outdoors in the dead of winter, in the heat of summer — is not against the law,” he said.

“And that’s why people have concluded it’s time to bring our animal cruelty laws up to a 21st century caring standard.”

Baillie says he’s happy to partner with the government to come up with better regulations.

Keith Colwell, Minister of Agriculture, is responsible for animal cruelty enforcement and a self-professed dog lover.

He says he is currently working with stakeholders to create updated regulations on animal cruelty — including tethering — as part of legislation passed during the previous government.

“We’re going to try to put some regulations in place so there will be consequences for doing what they did to Buddy or any other animal that’s in the same sort of situation,” Colwell said.

Meetings have already been scheduled for this week.

The changes will come too late for Buddy, but advocates hope that it will help other animals.

“I hope that Buddy hasn’t died in vain,” Sinden said.