I had finished writing my column by my deadline – not the one you are reading now, but a different one about wholistic medicine for pets. But I felt compelled to write a different story – one that tells about my experience recently when I joined a small group of women rallying in Montgomery for a critical bill to be passed.
I had never been to a rally before, and I was excited. My friend had called me about this vital bill HB149 from Rep. Phillip Ensler, that makes it a Class B misdemeanor to have a dog chained to an unmovable object without shelter from the weather and access to food and water. I’m quiet for a moment: Shouldn’t that already be against the law?
Alabama people really love their dogs; I see it daily in our clinic. Nothing touches me more than seeing that look of pure love – a deep connection that passes between a client and their dog, a flicker of light in both their eyes, like a secret has just been shared.
However, if I’m honest, I’ve also seen that little white dog down the road, trapped on a short chain, shivering in the rain and burning up in the summer heat because there’s no shelter. Every time I drove by, I could see she was getting skinnier and weaker. Then the day came when she was no longer there. I felt so helpless not knowing what I could have done. Maybe call the authorities? But that hasn’t helped before. On my drive to meet up with rally members, I take another route so I don’t have to be reminded of my shame of not doing something more.
Arriving at the rally meeting area, my anticipation builds as I wonder what happens next. Small groups of people, mostly women, of all ages are meeting up from all over the state. Some of them are wearing shirts that represent their different rescues or animal shelters; they’re greeting old friends and making new ones. Now we are walking to the Alabama State House, signs held high. Everyone is excited, and I notice everyone has a similar look about them, a sense of strength and dignity in their eyes; a passer-by honks and flips us off, and they are not even fazed.
When we arrive at the State House, legislators listen as we take turns speaking. There are no angry fists and no emotional rants; instead, calm strong voices share problems and solutions. I find it odd that no one else came to listen – this is a large untapped voting demographic whose solutions could generate income for local governments.
One woman shares, “Embarrassingly, Alabama is 49th in the nation for animal welfare.” Another says, “All Alabamians are paying the price for decisions made here – we have to let them know what we expect of them,” and another says, “Dogs are classified as livestock here, so until laws are made to protect them, there’s nothing anyone can do.”
I am learning so much at this rally. HB149 establishes regulations for tethering, outdoor shelters, and enclosures to ensure humane treatment of dogs. It bans the use of ill-fitting collars and chains as tethers and prohibits tethers that are too short or cause injury.
Continuous tethering is limited to 8 hours per day and is prohibited in extreme weather (below 32 degrees F or above 90 degrees F) and during severe weather warnings. Outdoor shelters must be structurally sound, provide protection from the elements, have an elevated floor, and be large enough for movement. The area must be clean and hazard-free with access to clean water and adequate food. Dogs who live outdoors must have a secure enclosure that prevents escape and allows room for exercise and play. This makes so much sense to me!
I don’t think that the majority of Alabamians feel complacent about our dog issues; rather, I believe they feel helpless about a situation that’s been out of control for a long time.
In writing this article, I have found a sense of peace, and I am excited to share what others can do to help implement needed change. Writing and calling our local news and radio stations and asking them to spread the word that this bill exists is one way to help.
Another powerful way to make a difference is emailing legislators – it sounds simple, but it really works! I created a Facebook page (HB149 Form Letters) that simplifies this process with pre-made letters to copy and email to your local representatives, senators, media and businesses to let everyone know we want change. Why are we doing this? Because I believe that Alabamians love their dogs!
Julie Bjorland is a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) and has been working alongside Goutam Mukherjee, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (known as Dr. G) for the past 20 years. To suggest a topic for discussion, email [email protected]
