Tennessee: Lebanon police chief Mike Justice says there's nothing he can do about an owner using a plastic trashcan as a dog house.

TENNESSEE -- A controversy is brewing in Lebanon over how dogs are being cared for.

City leaders pride themselves on being proactive when it comes to animal safety, but some citizens have complained, saying the city is not doing enough to safeguard abused.

On Tuesday morning, News 2 was there as Lebanon Animal Control officers returned to a home on Tater Peeler Road for the fifth time after numerous complaints regarding alleged animal abuse.

Upon arrival, officers found the dogs in question were chained up, which is a violation of Lebanon’s city ordinance.

 

 

The dogs did have food, water and shelter, which consisted of a garbage can and barrel both laid on their sides.

Interim Police Chief Mike Justice said their shelter is considered adequate under state law.

“The City of Lebanon has enacted its own ordinances that are tougher than state law, but if a homeowner is not in violation we can’t hop a fence and recover their dog, and there are folks who believe it is not adequate,” Justice said.

I'm not saying seize the dogs and charge them with animal cruelty (at the state level)... Why not issue a civil town ordinance citation and let a judge decide whether or not it's adequate? It says right in their town laws that the owner must provide "adequate shelter". Why not get a veterinarian willing to say that in bitter winter temperatures it's NOT adequate? I don't accept someone like this police chief telling me he can't.

Late Tuesday morning, the case took a positive turn when the property owner voluntarily surrendered two of three dogs to the city.

One of the dogs is a puppy, which Animal Control officers say is underweight. The other is a 3-year-old female that seemed happy to go with them.

Conditions for a third dog were also improved with a new dog house and pillow.

“Are the conditions perfect? No, but state law doesn’t allow us to violate the man’s rights,” Justice said.

 

The confiscated pups will be thoroughly checked out before being placed up for adoption.

For additional information on how to help the two dogs, call 615-444-2323.

The owner of the dogs received a citation for the canines being chained up outside.

(WKRN - Jan 12, 2016)