The plight of dogs left tethered and alone in a field has prompted concerned members of the public to voice frustration at the inability of animal authorities to address the issue.

The owners of the dogs are not believed to be breaching any laws but residents have spoken about their worries for their welfare.

“We’re not the only ones that have called about this — a lot of people walking past are seeing this, and they’re appalled by it,” said teacher Charlene White, who has been trying to secure better treatment for the animals since December.

The two dogs are tethered on short chains around the clock in a roadside garden at the City of Hamilton’s northern edge.

One, left in the open air, had dug its own burrow to shelter underneath a shed, Ms White said, while a second, smaller animal had been left locked in the shed in squalid conditions.

An investigation by the group of concerned residents shows that the agricultural land is rented, and that the owners do not appear to be present on the site. The owners visit to feed the animals and provide them with water, but leave the dogs secured at the premises.

Repeated calls to Government’s dog wardens resulted in the confined dog being let out, and a crate being provided as shelter.

Ms White said the group had been told there was nothing legally wrong with the tethering of the animals.

“We have been in touch with the owners through the wardens and we just want to come up with some way of getting these poor animals some relief — we’ve even volunteered to come and walk them once a day, anything so that they can be let out for a little while,” Ms White said.

“I go just to pet them a little and calm them down. It’s clear when you see them that these are not happy dogs.

“I can’t even understand how they would protect the field if they’re tethered in place. If they’re there for security, it doesn’t make much sense to me.

“They can’t chase anybody and they are not scary dogs — they crave attention.”

While the owners of the animals are said to be unwilling to give them up, Ms White said her frustrations came to the fore when she was repeatedly told that nothing would be done about the situation, while calls to the SPCA went unanswered.

A January 19 e-mail from the Department of Environmental Protection advised that under the Care and Protection of Animals Act, nothing untoward was happening. The appropriateness of the group’s decision to take their concerns to the media was questioned on the basis of “the signal it sends to the owner”, the e-mail said, adding: “Accusations founded on certain cultural norms are different than arguing a legal position.”

Ms White told The Royal Gazette: “What irritates me is this cultural thing — as far as I can see, the majority of people on this Island, and I don’t care who, will look after their dogs and take them for a walk.

“Why does Environmental Protection think it’s anything to do with cultural norms?”

She said their conclusion amounted to “we can’t do anything because that’s just the way it goes in Bermuda”.

Ms White added that the group would continue trying to find a compromise.

She also acknowledged that the dogs’ situation had only caught widespread attention because more motorists were taking advantage of free parking to the north of the city.

“I am sure there are a lot of dogs that we can’t see that are in a worse position than these dogs,” she said.

“But now that we’ve seen it, why can’t we deal with this concern?”