PETA Urges Council To Restrict Dog Chaining

In the wake of a spate of dog attacks in the city, an animal rights group is calling on the City Council to pass legislation that would restrict dog owners from chaining their pets for extended periods of time.

In a letter sent yesterday to the council, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals blamed a pair of near-fatal dog attacks last week in part on the owners' treatment of the animals, which reportedly were chained for long stretches of time.

Council Member Peter Vallone Jr. said he welcomed PETA's appeal to the City Council. Mr. Vallone, who represents Queens, is sponsoring a bill that would levy a fine of $250 on dog owners who chain pets in place for more than three hours, with possible jail time for repeat offenders.

"Even a normal pet can be turned into a violent dog by chaining," Mr. Vallone said in an interview. "We're not talking about people putting their dog on a pole as they go to the grocery store, we're talking about people who abuse their animal for more than three hours at a time."

Studies have shown that chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr. Vallone said he also is renewing earlier calls for state lawmakers to repeal laws preventing New York City from banning specific breeds of dogs, such as pit bulls.

The dogs in last week's two attacks — one on a 90-year-old man in Staten Island and the other on a 3-year-old boy in Brooklyn — were pit bulls, a breed that some studies have shown is disproportionately likely to bite humans.