HB1755 and SB5649 Restrictions on WA Dog Owners

[huntrights]

You folks need to know about this legislation; if you own a dog, it affects you.

Related forum thread:
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=92038.0

Washington State has recently passed two bills through the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.  Both bills, HB1755 and SB5649 are very restrictive and will affect every dog owner in the state.  Like me, I suspect most dog breeders, trainers, dog owners in general, and those that have working dogs knew nothing about this pending legislation; you have a right to know and to decide for yourselves.   

They contain such restrictions as:

“(1)(a) A person shall be subject to penalties as provided in this
8 section if the person leaves a dog restrained or tied outside by use of
9 a tether, chain, rope, cord, pulley, trolley system, or other device
10 under any of the following circumstances:
11 (i) Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.;
12 (ii) For more than ten hours consecutively, or more than ten hours
13 within any twenty-four hour period;…”
“1 (iv) On the same chain, tether, rope, cord, pulley, trolley system,
2 or fixed point as another animal;
3 (v) In a manner that allows the dog to be within ten feet of any
4 public right-of-way;
5 (vi) In a manner that prevents the dog from lying, sitting, and
6 standing comfortably, and without the restraint becoming taut, and that
7 does not allow the dog a range of movement equal to at least three
8 times the length of the dog, measured from the tip of its nose to the
9 base of its tail; …”
“18 (b) A person shall be subject to penalties as provided in this
19 section if the person leaves a dog restrained or tied under
20 circumstances that do not meet the following requirements:
21 (i) Any tether, fastener, chain, tie, or other restraint must weigh
22 no more than one-eighth the body weight of the dog, and must be
23 attached to a properly fitted buckle-type harness or collar, not less
24 than one inch in width, that provides enough room between the collar or
25 harness and the dog's throat to allow normal breathing and swallowing.”

We all care about our dogs and would not intentionally hurt them.  If these laws pass and you have your dog tethered in your back yard at 10:01pm, you have just broken the law.  Think about it.  In my opinion, they’ve gone too far with this.

I feel relatively confident in saying that most dog owners would oppose this legislation.  Unfortunately, I don’t believe most dog owners know this legislation is pending.  Please write your representatives about your views on these bills. 

Washington Legislature Web Site link for HB1755
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1755&year=2011

HB1755 Bill Analysis:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/1755%20HBA%20JUDI%2012.pdf

HB1755 PDF link:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1755-S.pdf

[wrongway]

In a lot of ways I like this, I am a dog owner and I never put my dog on a line of any kind, but I think this is for all the people who do not take care of thier dogs the right way. nothing worse then a dog barking who it tied up all night.

[goosegetter79]

  

[jaymark6655]

In a lot of ways I like this, I am a dog owner and I never put my dog on a line of any kind, but I think this is for all the people who do not take care of thier dogs the right way. nothing worse then a dog barking who it tied up all night.

I had a lab, use to keep him on a run 100 ft cable with a pulley and then a 30ft lead attached to the dog.  He was aways kept outside, too big for inside.  Never barked all night.  As for taking care of the right way, I guess my other option is to lock him in a crate all day while I am at work, bet he will love that.

[goosegetter79]

In a lot of ways I like this, I am a dog owner and I never put my dog on a line of any kind, but I think this is for all the people who do not take care of thier dogs the right way. nothing worse then a dog barking who it tied up all night.

I had a lab, use to keep him on a run 100 ft cable with a pulley and then a 30ft lead attached to the dog.  He was aways kept outside, too big for inside.  Never barked all night.  As for taking care of the right way, I guess my other option is to lock him in a crate all day while I am at work, bet he will love that.

I got a lab, he's inside all day when i'm here and gone and not in a crate. How's he too big for ur house?

[wrongway]

Jay I do feel that there are good dog owners who do put the dogs on the right kind of system, I think that this new law is for the dip s#&% dog owners oyt there who should of never got a dog to begin with.

[pianoman9701]

We already have laws that protect animals from abuse, including leaving them outside without proper care or protection from the cold. Those who have hunting hounds often must keep them tied up to keep them apart or the dogs will fight and can injure or kill each other. The dog that needs to go out at night for even a short time wouldn't be able to be tethered for even 5 minutes under this law.

I understand and applaud those of you who would protect animals from abuse, but don't do it with this law. It's a bad law with a broad sweep that will restrict people who ARE taking good care of their animals by tethering them to keep them from harm.

Not only should you not support this bill, you should oppose it. My 

[jaymark6655]

In a lot of ways I like this, I am a dog owner and I never put my dog on a line of any kind, but I think this is for all the people who do not take care of thier dogs the right way. nothing worse then a dog barking who it tied up all night.

I had a lab, use to keep him on a run 100 ft cable with a pulley and then a 30ft lead attached to the dog.  He was aways kept outside, too big for inside.  Never barked all night.  As for taking care of the right way, I guess my other option is to lock him in a crate all day while I am at work, bet he will love that.

I got a lab, he's inside all day when i'm here and gone and not in a crate. How's he too big for ur house?

Well I guess too big isn't the right word, but ten hours or more away is a long time for him to not poop or piss. Since I was little dogs aways stayed outside.  He has an awesome house (spent one night in it -10 deg and an ice storm had frozen the locks shut when I was a kid and parents couldn't make it home from work so I crawled in there with the dog) and more room to run than the house has.  Just saying the writting in this bill is too vague and could get a lot of people in trouble. 

[JimmyHoffa]

Additionally, how are they going to enforce this?  Hire a new state agency or just tack these laws on to the existing law enforcers?  "Sorry, we can't go look for poachers or tweekers because we have to go look for dogs tied up."

[Stilly bay]

I hope this goes through, this won't affect people who care about their dogs.

unfortunately this is going to be a low priority for the police, lower even than pot with just got dropped to a non priority.

every thing listed is reasonable and makes sense. no where does it say you can't have your dog chained up, you just have to be humane about it and respect your neighbors .

I cannot fathom any opposition to this bill by responsible dog owners.

[singleshot12]

I hope it passes too. Common sense restrictions might atleast help the irresponsible to think twice while being a dog owner. Something needs to be done to curb neglect etc. All Dogs deserve justice. All animals for that matter.

[Houndhunter]

This is bull, I'm tired of people telling you how you can raise a animal. I dont need laws to tell me that, this may not sound bad but this will start down a path in the wrong direction. Any stupid laws like this need to be kept in city limits only

[Widgeondeke]

So if you get up early, before 6am and let the dog out cause nature calles and put him/her on a cable you are breaking the law. Stop the micro-managing 
As was stated, we already have laws for animal abuse.
Also, this means your yard was just reduced by 10' if it borders a road or sidewallk, hmmm

[wraithen]

The cops are getting their budgets slashed. They can't even enforce traffic laws often enough as it is. We don't need a freaking nanny state. All you people claiming it will go after bad dog owners aren't thinking this through. Not being able to tether your dog between 10pm and 6am. Nowhere does it say there's a difference between what you call a leash when you're walking your dog or anything else. If you walk your dog or tether it in the middle of the night you're breaking the law. A barking dog in the middle of the night is already enforced. This just opens more nanny state mentalities. If your neighbor is being a bad owner man up and go talk to him. Quit thinking that laws will fix things. They just make more crime. Just because it's a good idea doesn't make it a good law. Next the breeders will clan up with the trainers and it will be illegal to have an untrained dog. How many of you would support this too? Europe already has it. How about you have to have an actual driving course to have a license? It only costs an extra 2 grand and everyone would be much better drivers. Keep being delusional thinking this way. BTW, my dog is an inside dog and is always being picked up after when I walk her, and she's always on a leash except in the dog park. You people are nuts. If you are for this then you are for a great many other nanny state ideas that you complain about.

[Stilly bay]

OK if you think about it the only thing listed there that people are getting upset about is the whole time frame issue. if you have cops staked out down the road from your house waiting for the stroke of 10pm so they can write you a ticket for leaving your dog chained up, then you have bigger worries.

this one piece of the bill obviously applies to disrespectful people whose leave their yapping dogs out all night for the neighbors to listen to. how are the cops going to find out about your noisy damn dog- that only is in violation in the dead of night?? probably because your neighbors are tired of listening to it and called the cops to complain.  now the police have grounds to issue you a fine instead of a warning. maybe now you will do something to shut your damn dog up!

everything else is just neglect or abuse issues. if you have a problem with those you don't deserve a dog in the first place. don't drink the paranoid kool-aid.

if this bill doesn't pass I will blame the Washington state school system for not focusing more on reading comprehension.