<human>: Condense the text into a few key points

I have a dog. His name is Wawa. Hound/Basenji mix if I had to guess. I am a first time dog owner. I live with grandparents over 75 and my mother over 50. We live in a rural area, although our road has the feel of a suburb. The houses aren't spaced to far apart.

We've had yard dogs in the past and we've had reason to believe many of them were murdered. As far as I know, it's been a threat against our dog's life and boom. Missing. 

Wawa is different. He is mostly an inside dog. He is sweet and friendly but young and full of energy. I feel like he needs outside time to frolic. He will go and usually come back in a few hours. One neighbor has no issue with Wawa and welcomes him to play with his dogs. But there are still known dog murderers. (One is a breeder, who didn't like our intact male sniffing around. Keeping him pinned was impossible. His name was Houdini. nuff said)

The alternative is to place him on a long tether in the yard. It's attached to a metal clothesline and has access to shade. He stays for a few hours/ Being a first time dog owner, I don't know what to do. The house is spilt on what to do. The old folks are terrified someone will kill him. I would be more relaxed if they were.
<bot>: My dog is at risk of being murdered by evil bastards but I want him to frolic. Is it cruel to tether my dog in the yard to protect him?