I have a large fenced back yard and my six (used to be 7) have always had full range with not chains. BUT, there is an excape artist among them and sometime we put a long (untangable) chain on him as a "time out". Not for long, and not over night and not in the unfenced front yard. Why did not the officer try calling first? Or shine a light into the front window to announce his presence? Was the visitor in the house so horrible they had to bust in? More info needed here to get the full story