Giving dogs shelter from the cold

To the editor:

If kept outdoors, New York requires that dogs receive shelter that has a waterproof roof; is structurally sound with insulation appropriate to local climate conditions and sufficient to protect dogs from inclement weather; and is constructed to allow each dog adequate freedom of movement to make normal postural adjustments, including the ability to stand up, turn around and lie down with limbs outstretched. The shelter and surrounding area are required to be kept clean.

When complaints of inadequate sheltering are properly investigated, victimized dogs are often discovered to also be malnourished, dehydrated, unvaccinated, and/or unprotected against heartworm and parasites.

In the 16 years since the sheltering law was enacted, this law has been laxly enforced in Columbia County. This and other humane laws need to be strictly enforced.

I also wish all communities in Columbia County would follow the example of Canandaigua city council that enacted an ordinance last year which limits the time dogs can be tethered or otherwise confined outdoors to a maximum of eight hours in any 24 hour period. Dogs really are ‘man’s best friend,’ deserving of a place in our hearts and inside our homes.

These issues are largely about applying Jesus’ Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — to our relationships with all sentient beings. This ethic promotes human welfare, too. As the humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer believes, “until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Joel D. Freedman

Canandaigua