Dog-tethering law review ordered

A month after it adopted an ordinance that made it illegal to tie up animals outside under certain circumstances, county commissioners want to change one of those circumstances, saying they did not intend for the law to go so far.

The commission yesterday asked county staff to review the so-called dog-tethering law, because the way it was written required pet owners to be outside with their pets if they were chained outside.

The ordinance also listed the following circumstances in which a dog or other animal can be tethered outside:

• The animal is not outside during extreme heat, cold or storms.
• The animal has access to food and water.
• The animal is at least 6 months old.
• The tether is connected to the animal by a leather or nylon collar or body harness.
• The tether is five times the animal’s body length.
• The tether does not weigh more than one-eighth of the animal’s weight.
• The tether is free of tangles.

The law was adopted at the urging of a group called Dogs Deserve Better, which explained to county officials that dogs become more territorial, aggressive and dangerous when they are constantly chained outside with little human interaction.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].