A Richland County dog is tethered 24/7. It’s legal. Should it be?

“I lie awake at night, deeply, deeply troubled.”

Those are the words of a woman named Marie who is trying to improve the conditions of a dog that has been tied to a tree for who knows how long. A dog that she sees every day, on her way to and from work in the Columbia area. A dog that has remained attached to the tree by way of a rope throughout the bitter cold of this winter.

“When I see my neighbor’s dog out in the cold (or more often in the oppressive heat) it frankly ruins my day and outlook…I ask: why would anyone think it is OK to leave their dog tied outside 24/7, why do our laws allow this, and how do we all live in a shared culture with such a drastic divide in how we view and care for animals?”

Wow. A lot to ponder in the previous paragraph.

Marie got in touch with me a week or so ago, by way of a text message on my cellphone.

“I am trying to help a dog in Richland County…Please call me.”

My heart sank. I knew the story would be unsettling. I knew I would have no ready answers for Marie. And I knew that because it is legal to tether dogs in Richland County, there was likely no solution to the situation.

We talked anyway.

Marie outlined her attempts to help the dog.

She has contacted people in official capacities including a Richland County animal care officer, a county animal cruelty investigator and the sheriff.

She has talked to people who live near the location of the dog and one person told her that she had been throwing scraps of food to the dog. Another neighbor said that people were rarely at the house where the dog was being kept. A bale of hay was left at the house to put in a dog house which Marie described as having “thin plasticized paper that is stapled to a wood frame. There are large holes all along the base of the house, some partially stuffed with dirty cloth.” Marie also said a “a multitude of piles of feces” was in the dog’s limited living area, along with pots and pans scattered about. She said she spoke to the owner of the dog, offering to buy the dog, but her offer was rejected.

Bottom line?

The dog remains tied to the tree.

“Obviously, pets are supposed to be kept in clean and sanitary conditions but it is OK to keep a dog tied up,” said Richland County spokeswoman Beverly Harris.

Harris said Richland County animal care officers “have responded to that location. They have talked to the owner. The dog has food, water and shelter. Just having a dog tied is not against the law, but, pets are expected to be kept in safe and humane conditions.”

I asked Harris if Richland County considered the dog’s living conditions “safe and humane.”

“Yes,” she said, adding that the case is being kept open “for follow-up.”

On the other hand, the Humane Society of the United States “believes it is unacceptable for dogs to live chronically chained outside,” said Kim Kelly, South Carolina Senior State Director for the organization.

“Dogs are social beings who need interaction with humans and or other animals, and dogs who endure long-term, unattended tethering suffer from extreme deprivation and loneliness, and are vulnerable to injury and death because of severe weather and other dangers.

“Chronic chaining is also contrary to public safety because chained dogs are more likely to bite. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained or intensively confined, can become neurotic, anxious and often aggressive.

“Dogs are technically considered property under the law, but increasingly animals are being recognized as a special kind of property, as evidenced by the fact that we have animal abuse laws that do not apply to inanimate objects. However, laws should be crafted to reflect that animals are sentient beings who experience pain and suffering.”

As for the law, I communicated with South Carolina Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, who is sponsoring a tethering bill “to try and ensure humane treatment of dogs. It would include specific requirements, including appropriate tether length and weight; no use of choke collars on tethers; and the provision of adequate food, water and shelter.

“I worked on this bill after hearing numerous horror stories of dogs left out in the cold, chained and with no shelter and little food and water. Law enforcement testified that they often felt handicapped by the lack of specificity in the law.”

I asked Sheheen why the bill would include an allowance for tethering at all.

“We learned that some people responsibly use tethers. Especially folks who cannot afford other means to contain their pets.”

Sheheen hopes the bill will pass the Senate “sometime during the next month and be received by the House.”

Meanwhile, Marie said the dog’s situation continues to “put a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that my conscience will not let me ignore.”

And meanwhile, a dog lives its life at the end of a rope.

Salley McAden McInerney is a writer who lives in Camden, S.C. She may be reached by emailing salley.mac@gmail.com.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 9:54 AM with the headline "A Richland County dog is tethered 24/7. It’s legal. Should it be?."