Australia Proposes: "Chain Your Dog, Go To Jail"

Walk your dog every day or go to jail: that is the import of draft legislation that Australia's leading animal rights campaigner wants the government to adopt.

Hugh Wirth is one of four experts appointed to draw up a national code of Australian pet ownership. He is head of the Victoria state branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If his guidelines are accepted and passed into law, owners would be obliged to take their dogs out to play or face prosecution and fines of up to 12,000 Australian dollars ($11,000 US dollars).

Magistrates could impose custodial sentences. Time in jail would likely be reserved for people "who chain their animals up or pen their animals for days and week and months at a time with absolutely no exercise," Wirth said.

Source: earthtimes.org