Dear Mr. Collins: I wish you had read my letter more carefully since you completely misrepresented what I had written in yours! [Letters, July 1] I never advocated a complete ban on chaining dogs in my letter, as you asserted — and in fact, I proposed to Council a law that has been met with success in some other communities across the country limiting the hours a dog may be chained. In no way was my finger pointed to the likes of you who obviously cares for his dog. I have no problem with a dog being tied for one-to-three hours a day or even longer. I do take issue with the many, many cases in Buncombe County where a dog never experiences a single minute off a chain. I cited such cases in my letter. Did that describe you? No.
I have found many dogs. Some dragged broken ropes. They were starved and one even had its collar digging into its flesh as the collar was too small. This is what I find disgusting. This is what animal rights activists are trying to prevent or minimize — not someone who walks their dog on a leash or ties it up for a few hours. I haven't accused you of anything! Obviously you care about your dog, Mr. Collins, so why not be an advocate for those less fortunate dogs that are out there! Got better solutions? Let's hear them!
— Troy Amastar
Alexander
