Myrna Mycock's appeal to adopt a German shepherd named Diesel has been denied.
After being turned down last week in her application to bring the dog home from the Prince George animal shelter to her rural home near Shelley, Mycock requested a meeting with BC SPCA North Cariboo branch relief manager Debbie Goodine, who reconsidered the case but stuck with the society's initial decision.
"I did not feel Diesel and Myrna were a good fit, so I did decline her application for adoption for that specific dog," said Goodine. "Diesel is a young, very high-energy dog and he really requires a specialized home, and from what Myrna let me know she was able to offer, her and Diesel were not a right match."
Goodine said there were other concerns with Mycock's application but privacy rules prevented her from releasing those details.
"We're not going to decline someone just specifically for tethering," said Goodine. "The BC SPCA discourages tethering, but if it does need to be done it has to be done in a safe manner, preferably on a run line. Ideally, it's just for a short term."
Mycock says she was being truthful when she told Goodine at their Monday meeting her intention to tether Diesel would be a temporary measure for training purposes only until the dog became adjusted to his new surroundings.
Nine-month-old Diesel has spent most of his life tied up in the backyard of his former owner. Mycock contends that taking him inside the house every night and putting him in a crate until he's trained would be far more traumatic than leaving him tied up in the yard with her other dog, a nine-year-old German shepherd/Irish wolfhound cross.
"I spent over an hour talking about every one of the pets I've ever had and trained -- I train animals -- but she was still adamant," said Mycock. "She wanted Diesel to go to a family with older children and she wanted him to have a fenced-in yard because he has behavioural issues because he always ran away. They wanted him to be an indoor dog. I told her he'd be tied up during training once in a while, but after training he wouldn't be tied up unless it was for his safety or if there's a lightning storm or Halloween fireworks going on.
"Everything [Goodine] talked about can be dealt with through training, love and patience, but she wouldn't hear it."
Local animal trainer Noel Pepin said there are better alternatives to leaving a dog tied up. If a tether is needed, Pepin said a clothesline setup which attaches to a leash is better than tying a dog to a single anchor point.
"My first choice would be a chain-link kennel, because then the dogs don't have a chance of getting tied up in the tether," Pepin said. "If the tether gets wrapped around the dog's neck and it chases another dog walking down the street, it could choke itself."
On its website, the BC SPCA discourages owners from leaving their animals tethered, saying it deprives dogs of the opportunity to socialize with their families or share the companionship of other dogs, which can bring on depressed, neurotic and aggressive behaviour. When left alone attached to a rope or chain, dogs become anxious and fearful and that puts people who come into close contact with them at risk of being attacked.
"It's like two guys in a barrroom brawl, if their buddies are holding them back they get mouthy and frustrated and that's kind of what the tether does," said Pepin.
Aside from the choking risk, the society also claims a tied-up dog is more susceptible to attacks from other dogs or animals and is less able to find shelter in inclement weather, especially if the dog becomes entangled in the rope or chain. The SPCA encourages people who see a dog in distress or in danger as a result of tethering to contact the North Cariboo branch at [email protected] or phone 250-562-5511.
Mycock said she left Goodine's office Monday in tears, soured on the adoption process and the SPCA's policies.
"I am never going to the SPCA again," said Mycock. "There are more animals out there that need the love and attention and care. If it gets to the point where Diesel hasn't been adopted and he's there for a long time and they end up having to euthanize him because he's not adoptable, then I will raise holy hell. I'm willing to take him, faults and all.
"There are a lot of people that were rooting for me that are upset right now. They had the same thing happen to them but didn't have the same gumption to say anything about it."
