A fair way to address keeping dogs safe in the cold

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There’s a big difference between a Chihuahua and a husky.

For the former, 30 degrees Fahrenheit would be excruciating. For the latter, it would seem like a warm spring day.

That’s why the General Assembly is considering legislation that seeks to protect our canine friends from the harsh temperature extremes that go along with living in New England.

But not all animals are created equal.

And so the folks at Tufts University have devised a scale to help animal control officers, cruelty investigators, veterinarians and others more accurately determine the condition of a potentially neglected dog.

The scale takes into consideration more than just the ambient temperature. It relies on the size, breed and physical condition of the dog to determine at which temperature the animal should be brought inside.

When I first proposed the legislation, it sparked controversy from those dog owners who are well aware that their own furry friends can withstand temperatures that other dogs cannot. I’d like to assure them, this scale takes all of that into consideration.

Rhode Island has done an admirable job of protecting our animals. Even Dr. Ernest Finocchio, president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, recently praised the General Assembly for “its long-standing and continuing commitment to enacting laws to protect the welfare of animals.”

In Rhode Island, we don’t allow dog owners to keep their dogs tethered for more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period. We don’t allow dog owners to tether their dogs with a choke-type or prong-type collar. We don’t allow dog owners to keep their dogs tethered in an area less than 113 square feet. A host of other laws adds additional protections to our animals – among the best of any state in the country.

What we don’t have is a law addressing weather conditions for our dogs. In the past, such legislation has been put off – understandably – due to the fact that different dogs can withstand different temperatures. What the Tufts Scale does is take away the subjective opinion of the animal control officer by implementing a scientific scale to determine when leaving a dog out in extreme temperatures constitutes cruelty.

With the weather being as cold as it’s been, we tend to think in low extremes, but the law would also provide for dogs left out in extremely high temperatures. Even brief periods of high heat can be dangerous to dogs, whereas a similar duration to cold temperatures would not be life threatening – hence another need for this scientific scale.

Our dogs do so much for us – serve us, comfort us, protect us, and offer us unconditional companionship.

The least we can do is make certain that nobody mistreats them by exposing them to temperatures that their breeds or physical conditions can’t handle – and to make certain that those who do don’t get away with it.

And the best way to make certain of that is to make it the law.

Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr. is a Democrat representing District 22 (Warwick) in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

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  • bendover

    Rep. Solomon, with all due respect, have you been drinking the water up at the State House? Don't get me wrong, I like dogs, but witnessing some of the feel good legislation being sponsored for this session that has been printed in this paper, this is a burning issue of the day? Well, OK, you are trying to legislate common sense, so following that logic I would suggest you take the time to observe students walking to school from 3rd to 12th grade in the fall and winter wearing T-shirts and shorts...Can we spay or neuter irresponsible parents?

    Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Report this