St. Margarets Bay dog prompts anti-tethering campaign

An animal rescue group concerned about the fate of a dog named Bullet in the St.Margarets Bay areais calling for an anti-tethering law in Nova Scotia.

Annette Armitage, president of the Animal Rescue Coalition, said Bullet is tethered 24 hours a day in the freezing cold and the sweltering heat.

"What we found was a husky type dog, tethered with a five to six-foot chain, who is matted. There was no water nor food in the dish," said Armitage.

"The dog house that is there is very small with a very small opening."

Volunteers with theAnimal Rescue Coalition havebeen visiting the dog on a regular basis, but Armitage said they no longer have access to the property.

The group has posted Bullet's picture on Facebook and is campaigning for tougher laws.

"We're putting him out there as a representation of other tethered, chained animals that happen in Nova Scotia in our own backyards,"Armitage said.

The SPCA said it's visited Bullet twice, and on both occasions there was sufficient food, water and shelter.

"There's lots of concerns there that we cannot actually do anything with under the law," said David Ross, the chief inspector for the SPCA in Nova Scotia.

"What we have is an animal in a situation where the present law, it meets all the requirements of that, and that's all we can do."

Nova Scotia strengthened animal protection laws with new legislation this spring, but the law does not ban tethering. Regulations that would restrict tethering are coming, but have not yet been written.