Moving To Tennessee? Maybe Not

Working with Tennessee Pet-Law, I get Google alerts all the time about various dog things on the Internet relating to Tennessee. I get alerts about rescue, HSUS, BSL, mandatory spay-neuter, dog legislation — you name it. Alerts all the time. Sometimes I get alerts when people are discussing Tennessee in dog chatrooms and message boards. That happened tonight when someone named NY Annie was asking for information about dogs and McNairy County.

Here's NY Annie's original posting asking for information:

The first, dog breeds that do well in the summer heat of south western TN and with the outdoors - farm country (south of Jackson). We will be surrounded by farms, next to, behind, and across from us and I am sure there will be chickens and other farm animals. I don't want trouble with my neighbors or want to worry that my dog escapes to go hunt on the neighbors' property. We also are surrounded by heavy woods, separating us from the neighbors, so there is always the possibility of snakes and other wildlife I need to concern myself with - both with the dog getting hurt by or chasing. While we will be taking in a rescued dog and I'll be getting a mutt, there are characteristics of breeds that will be predominant, so I'm just wondering what I should look for.

That's not so bad, right? But then NY Annie goes on to explain more about her situation and what she thinks life will be like when she moves to Tennessee:

My kitties are my pets - indoors at night, outside when we are - and perimeter trained. I've never had a dog house because none of my dogs were kept outdoors. They, like my kitties, are permitted to go outdoors to be with the family and to do their business - in a specific location and therefore must be perimeter trained. When we leave the property, they are leashed (wish we could do that with kids sometimes). And, just like children, pets are taught proper behavior - well, just like MY children...

Since we plan to spend almost all our time outdoors, it would be terrible to leave the pets inside. We just need to find a contractor to build our deck & pool next summer so it's ready when we arrive. The outdoor kitchen will be my next priority. We are designing it now and it will actually have more counter space than the indoor kitchen as it's where I plan on doing most of my canning. Of course I want my kitties and dog outside with me. And my kitties come when I use a certain whistle; just like all my dogs did.

This kind of stuff just drives me crazy.

I want to tell this woman DON'T MOVE HERE!

What is she thinking? So, she's moving to farm country, close to woods, and she's not going to have a fence. She wants to get a Beagle mix and "perimeter-train" it. OMG Am I the only one who thinks this is completely stupid? The Beagle part of that dog is going to be gone in a heartbeat. This is why we tell people ad nauseum to learn about breeds and mixes before you get a dog. Beagles are hunting dogs and they have strong instincts. I don't think any amount of "perimeter-training" is going to keep that dog in NY Annie's yard. Besides that, it's just not a good idea to move to a rural area and get a dog without having a good method of containment. You are asking for trouble if you don't have a means of containing your dog.

And, if that weren't bad enough, she's got KITTENS! She thinks she's going to perimeter train them, too? That's nice. What about all the big bad things that want to eat THEM? So, while she's happily cooking in her outdoor kitchen (please, who does that in Tennessee?), her dog has disappeared, and something with claws has devoured her kittens. Even if they are adult cats by the time she moves, they don't stand much of a chance against some of the things that can come out of the woods in Tennessee.

And I haven't even mentioned the kudzu that can swallow your pets, your house, and your car.

Why do people think they can move to Tennessee and do this stuff? Next thing you know, she is calling animal control about her neighbor's dogs that killed her cats, or her Beagle mix has been chasing someone's chickens and her farmer neighbor is threatening to shoot him.

And all of the other enablers on this site are just telling her what horrible animal owners there are in Tennessee. Yeah? Well, they're not the ones who are going to be having the problems this woman is going to be having!

Yes, this kind of thing does drive me crazy, and I read exchanges like this frequently when someone is thinking of moving to Tennessee. No, we are not hicks or hillbillies. We are not bad people and we do love animals. But that does not mean that you can arrive here with your pets and act as though everything should be done the same way as the place you left. IF you are moving to a rural area, the farmers and other residents were there first. They do not want your "perimeter-trained" pets bothering their farm animals. Some farmers WILL shoot a dog. That is a fact. And the law will back them up if your dog is bothering their stock. So, keep your pets safely contained at home. That will also keep them from being hit by a car, picked up by animal control, or becoming lost.

Contrary to what you may read on some of these "informational" sites, most people with pets in Tennessee do allow pets indoors. And we are not a state full of animal abusers. We love our pets just as much as anyone, anywhere. Please get some accurate information if you are thinking of moving to Tennessee.

Are there things in Tennessee that are different from some other states? Sure. Things are different in every state. I've lived in several states and I've never noticed much difference in the way people treat their pets. But you do have to check local laws wherever you live. Check the government Web site for the state, county, and city where you are thinking of moving. That's the best way to get accurate information. Find out if there is a city or county pet license. Find out how often rabies shots are required locally. In Tennessee you are only required to get a rabies shot every three years, but some cities and counties require them more often. Find out if there are any pet limits where you're thinking of living. There are few pet limits across Tennessee but some of the larger cities do have limits. Find out what the law says for an area before you move to Tennessee. And, for goodness' sake, if you don't like what you hear about Tennessee, please don't move here. We really don't need people to move here who think they can make our state into the place they left. If you like it there so much, stay there.

Animal Abuse Research

The following article originally appeared in the June 4, 2010 issue of DOG NEWS and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

Animal Abuse Research

Carlotta Cooper

For the past few weeks my computer screen has been covered with saved files with titles such as Social Work and the Law: Proceedings of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work; Animal Abuse and Youth Violence; and Animal Cruelty Prosecution: Opportunities for Early Response to Crime and Interpersonal Violence. I have literally dozens of these files saved, in various stages of reading. I can tell you that they don’t make pretty reading. I can only read so much before I have to stop and play with my puppies to get what I’ve been reading out of my head.

That’s one reason why it was very dismaying to read the March 26, 2010 issue of DOG NEWS, in particular the editorial “States Growing Tougher.” The editorial referred to “growing evidence” that people who abuse animals often go on to attack other humans and mentioned that states are increasing penalties for animal cruelty and “developing better methods for tracking offenders.” I’m afraid there are some problems with these seemingly straightforward statements.

After all the research I’ve been doing one thing is crystal clear: the “growing evidence” that links animal abuse to other forms of abuse is highly suspect. The same is true where animal hoarding is concerned. For instance, the first study of what we call today “hoarding” was conducted in New York City in 1981, with funding from the ASPCA. This would form the pattern for virtually all of the significant later studies on hoarding as well as the studies linking animal abuse to other forms of abuse. Studies on animal abuse, which are being used to convince lawmakers to make tougher laws, create animal abuse registries, and consider laws for “hoarders” are based on animal rights research.

One of the most significant studies of animal abuse and other forms of abuse was done by Randall Lockwood and his co-authors E. Deviney and J. Dickert in 1983: "The care of pets within child abusing families," International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, 4, 321-329. It just so happens that Dr. Lockwood became the Vice-President of the Humane Society of the United States the following year, in 1984, a position that he held until 2005. He is currently a Senior Vice President for Anti-Cruelty Field Services for the ASPCA. Yes, he does have credentials in psychology with a doctorate in psychology from Washington University, but his animal rights beliefs have to make any research produced by him very questionable. At least, it should be questioned. And yet, his articles and books have become standards in the field of animal abuse.

Dr. Lockwood worked with humane societies and law enforcement agencies, as a psychologist and in his position as vice president of HSUS for more than 30 years, advising them on the “interactions” between animals and people. He testified in numerous trials involving so-called “cruelty to animals” — dogfighting cases, child abuse, domestic violence, even murder cases, if there were animals involved. He did everything possible to increase awareness of what he considered to be the link between animal abuse and other forms of violence. He continues to provide training to law enforcement, social services, mental health and veterinary professionals. And he has written several books on the subject of animal cruelty. (Information taken from his curriculum vitae and published biography.) In short, he’s been a very busy and successful man when it comes to promoting the idea that there is a link between animal abuse and other forms of violence.

However, just because Randall Lockwood, as vice president of HSUS, believes that animal abuse is linked to other forms of violence, doesn’t mean it’s true. It means that he’s had 30 years to sell this idea to the public and to convince the people in positions of authority — your local police department, child protective services, therapists and counselors, your vet — that it’s true. And now his books are being used to teach courses in animal abuse to other aspiring psychologists.

But Randall Lockwood is by no means the only researcher who has succeeded in putting forward animal rights beliefs to the public. HSUS, ASPCA and the Doris Day Animal League (the people who brought you PAWS and sued the USDA) have funded many similar studies. (Randour, M.L., Krinsk, S., & Wolf, J. (2002). AniCare Child: An Approach for the Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Animal Abuse. Printed and distributed by the Doris Day Animal Foundation and Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Jory, B. & Randour, M.L. (1999). The AniCare Model of Treatment for Animal Abuse (adult version). Printed and distributed by the Doris Day Animal Foundation and Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.) They carefully choose researchers who share their ideology and fund their research. It’s not hard to make the research show the results that the researchers hope to find, especially in the field of social sciences. For instance, a study on animal abuse and violence in the home might turn out drastically different if it were conducted in Twiddlestix, Kentucky instead of New York or some other urban area with a high crime rate.

Of course, not all studies about animal abuse and violence can or should be dismissed. No one takes genuine animal abuse lightly. However, at the present time our legislatures are being influenced by people and studies which have been funded by animal rights groups for decades.

There are even some studies that disprove a direct link between animal abuse and violence if you would like to read them:

"The Relationship of Animal Abuse to Violence and Other Forms of Antisocial Behavior," Arnold Arluke (Northeastern University), Jack Levin (Northeastern University), Carter Luke (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Frank Ascione (Utah State University). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 14, No. 9, 963-975 (1999).

"The Linkage of Animal Abuse with Interpersonal Violence: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing?" Heather Piper (Manchester Metropolitan University, England).

"Reports of severe physical punishment and exposure to animal cruelty by inmates convicted of felonies and by university students," Karla S. Miller and John F. Knutson,

(Department of Psychology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA)

One of the strongest thrusts of the animal rights movement in the last few years has been focused on “animal hoarding.” The Humane Society of the United States has shoveled tens of thousands of dollars to Tufts University and the HARC program (Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium), headed by Dr. Gary Patronek — who is a veterinarian, not a psychiatrist. HARC is doing “research” on hoarding, with the same goal that Dr. Lockwood had — to take the idea mainstream in the way that Dr. Lockwood succeeded in convincing the public that there is an easy-to-understand, one-to-one relationship between animal abuse and violence.

HARC is doing research and “educating” social service providers, public health officials, law enforcement, veterinarians and others on the “signs” of animal hoarding. You can bet that you will be reading more about “hoarding” and “hoarders” in your local newspapers and seeing them on your local TV news as this animal rights-led campaign expands — not because there is a sudden epidemic of hoarding, but because this is the latest AR trend. This is the latest way that HSUS has come up with to part animal owners from their animals and to discourage people from owning pets or breeding. There are currently two states with laws regarding animal hoarding (Hawaii and Illinois) but it’s only a matter of time before HSUS pushes for more laws in more states. HARC is even trying to have animal hoarding recognized as a mental illness or “conduct disorder” in the new edition of the DSM for mental health professionals.

Of course, the problem with hoarding from the perspective of an animal owner is that it could be any of us who have more than one animal. Hoarding is defined as basically keeping any number of animals more than someone else thinks you need. Those most often singled out as "hoarders" are elderly, alone and poor. In other words, they are unable to defend themselves if they are accused of being a hoarder.

(I recently read a blog post on an AR web site that thanked someone for posting an article about hoarding. The girl said she was always afraid she was going to become a hoarder but now she knew the signs so she would know what to watch for. She was completely serious. Isn’t that sad?)

Please consider the source when you hear that your legislature is considering tougher new laws for animal abuse, creating an “animal abuse registry” or thinking of making a law about “animal hoarding.” It’s very easy for research to be twisted and the research on animal abuse and violence has been manipulated by HSUS and animal rights groups for the last 30 years.