Ban unattended dog chaining

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Morika Elek
PO Box 1127
NERANG QLD 4211
Total Signatures - 880
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 10/5/2022
Closing Date: 12/8/2022
Tabled Date: 16/8/2022
Responded By: Hon Mark Furner MP on 14/9/2022
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House s33 of the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (the Act) presently permits a person in charge to allow a dog to be confined by tethering to an inanimate object with ropes or chains for a continuous period of up to 24 hours without supervision, exercise or interaction. This practice has caused dogs to become entangled in ropes or chains restricting their capacity to access drinking water or shelter shade during heatwaves or shelter during extremes in cold weather, leading to prolonged suffering and even death from dehydration or hypothermia. Confined and tethered dogs for prolonged periods are denied healthy freedom of movement and often display high aggressivity.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to amend the provisions of the Act that permit prolonged unsupervised confinement/tethering of a dog. Short duration tethering must only take place when the person in charge is outside with the dog in its sight at all times. Dogs must be confined at all other times within a species specific fenced yard without tethering, or confinement by chains or ropes attached to a stationary inanimate object. The fenced yard must be of a size suitable for the breed and weight of dog to allow it to run in an unrestricted way and allow uninhibited freedom of healthy movement to access shelter, water and food at all times.