Montreal SPCA wants Quebecers to stop chaining their dogs

The Montreal SPCAsays tying up a dog outside is inhumane, and it's asking the province to step in and ban the practice.

The organization launched itsnew campaign on Tuesday, called Cut the Chain.

"We know that dogs, who are social animals, suffer severely from spending their lives at the end of a chain," said Sophie Gaillard, campaignmanager for the Montreal SPCA's animal advocacy department.

Gaillaird saidonethird of the Montreal SPCA's animal cruelty complaints concern chained dogs.

"Unfortunately, until the government bans this practice, we remain helpless to alleviate their suffering," she said.

The Montreal SPCAwants the Quebec government to:

• Prohibit keeping a dog tied upfor more than a certain number of consecutive hours or during a certain period of time.
• Prohibitleaving any dog who hasn'treached maturity, who is ill, injured or unsterilized, tied up unattended.
• Prohibitkeeping a dog tied up outsideduring extreme weather conditions.

CBC Montreal has reached out to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for comment.