Council may ban tethering of pets (Spartansburg, SC)

[Rene Allegrini]

Council may ban tethering of pets

By Lynne P. Shackleford
February 26, 2008


How long should Fido be chained to that fence post?

The Spartanburg City Council will discuss today a proposal to restrict the time an animal can spend chained to a stationary object and on a cable trolley system with a goal of completely outlawing animal tethering by the end of next year.

Council isn't expected to take action on the proposal today and likely would consider first reading of the ordinance at a later date. If eventually approved in its current version, the ordinance likely would be the first in the state to ban tethering altogether.

The proposed city ordinance states that no animal can be fastened, chained, tied, tethered or restrained to a fence, tree, dog house or any other stationary object for longer than 12 hours in a 24-hour period. When an animal is tethered, the chain or other device must be at least 10 feet long and attached to prevent strangulation and entanglement with other objects.

An animal attached to a cable trolley system, or "runner," that allows movement of the restraining device, can be restrained for no longer than 16 hours in a 24-hour period. The cable used to restrain the animal must be able to move at least 10 feet, and the animal must be able to move 10 feet away from the cable perpendicularly.

The ordinance is set to take effect July 1, but that date could be postponed, depending on whether modifications are made to the ordinance and how long council takes to consider the proposal, City Attorney Cathy McCabe said.

In addition to the time restrictions that an animal can spend on a chain and on a pulley system, the ordinance states that as of Dec. 31, 2009, all chaining or tethering of any type would be illegal. The city of Beaufort is the only other municipality or county in the state to restrict tethering. Beaufort enacted an ordinance earlier this year that bans long-term tethering.

McCabe said the city wanted to give pet owners who might not have the financial means to build a fence or otherwise confine their animals 18 months notice before the anti-tethering law is enacted at the end of 2009.

"We do understand that this could cause some hardship on pet owners, and that's why we've extended the date of ending all tethering by Dec. 31, 2009," McCabe said.

The proposed local ordinance mirrors the time restriction in state tethering legislation introduced by Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington. Knotts first proposed the bill in 2007, and it included more rigid time limits an animal could spend chained or on a pulley runner system, but the Senate Judiciary Committee amended that bill to its current version.

The proposed ordinance states that beginning Dec. 31, 2009, "no tethering or staking shall be permitted at all." The ordinance doesn't address the legality of leashing an animal or temporarily staking an animal while it's supervised, which are both considered tethering methods.

If enacted, McCabe said, the ordinance likely would be enforced when neighbors or others call animal enforcement when they see an animal chained or on a pulley system for a long period of time.

Supporters of anti-tethering laws and laws that restrict how long an animal can be tethered argue that dogs are social animals so spending the majority of their time chained or on a pulley system has negative psychological and emotional impacts. Animals also could be targets for thieves and can become injured while chained or confined to a pulley system.

Michael San Filippo, spokesman of the American Veterinary Medical Association, said his organization has concluded that chaining or restricting a dog to a pulley system for days is not healthy for the animal.

The AVMA, a not-for-profit organization representing 76,000 veterinarians nationwide, has not issued a position statement on animal tethering since there's no scientific evidence that confirms chaining specifically causes aggressive behavior, he said.

"There are so many different variables associated with dog bites and aggression," San Filippo said. "We follow our animal welfare guidelines, however, and say that generally if a dog is chained for a long period of time for days on end, chances are they don't have adequate food, water or shelter and don't receive proper care. So naturally, we are against that."

San Filippo acknowledged there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that chained dogs have aggressive behavior and suffer negative psychological effects, such as extreme boredom and anxiety.

The AVMA has asked states to report whether a dog has been tethered when reporting dog bites to establish an evidence database.

"It is healthier for a dog to be inside or have access for full range of motion than to be chained," San Filippo said. "Being chained causes discomfort. And although we realize there are some situations where chaining an animal makes sense, it isn't an ideal situation."

Opponents of tethering bans contend that such laws unfairly punish responsible pet owners who use tethering for training and to keep pets on unfenced property. Such laws, opponents contend, place an undue burden on pet owners and could lead to more dogs running loose.

The proposed ordinance also prohibits animals from being chained to metering devices.

The chain or wire that restricts the animal can't exceed one-eighth of the animal's weight, the proposed ordinance states.

In addition, the ordinance states that no animal can be attached to a chain or other device by a choke-type or pronged collar. In all situations, the animal must have access to food, water and proper shelter, which reiterates statewide animal welfare laws.

City Council will hold a workshop on the entire animal control ordinance during its 5:30 p.m. meeting today in the Barrett Room at the Spartanburg County Public Library on Kennedy Street. Council must hold a public hearing and two readings before an ordinance is passed.

Spartanburg City Council may ban tethering of pets | GoUpstate.com | Spartanburg, S.C.

[JemarsSerena]

Our city made a similiar ordanance except that it limited tethering to a maximmum of two hours on and then at least 4 hours off before re-tethering. Then the important thing is that they enforced it! It has been wonderful to drive around town and not see dogs chained for life. I also sell fencing, so I go to see my sales go up!

If you are involved in local politics, this a great way to get a positive ordanance passed and reduce many of the aggression related dog incidents. As well, the nights have gotten much quieter.

[Wolftrax]

I am just curious... how is this being enforced? Does someone drive around your city/town all day just looking for tethered dogs? I currently use a tie out for potty breaks for my three dogs. I can not get a fence installed until the ground thaws - hopefully sometime in the next 2 months. Anyways my dogs are in and out all day. They may spend anywhere from 10 min to an hour tied outside depending on the temperature. Anyone checking on them may see one dog outside then drive by again 4 hours later and see the same dog outside. The natural assumption would be the dog has been outside tethered for 4 hours when in reality the dog spent 3 1/2 hours curled up on his dog bed in the living room.

I absolutely agree that no dog should spend its life chained to a tree in the back yard but it just seems that enforcement of any law that provides timelines would be very cumbersome to enforce and Heaven knows every municipality has enough unenforcable laws now. Unfortunatley creating more laws does not improve the behavior of all citizens.

Karen

[JonandMichelle]

Originally Posted by Wolftrax

I am just curious... how is this being enforced? Does someone drive around your city/town all day just looking for tethered dogs? Karen

YEPPERS! It is called Animal Control actually doing their J.O.B.

Since I teach Dog Bite Prevention, the chaining/tethering of dogs is one of the MAIN causes of dog bites, esp. in children. I am all for anti-tethering/chaining laws.

[Nishasmom]

Austin just passed this law last year; since then I have called Animal Control several times for "chained dogs". All of which now have a nice dog run

Why even have a pet if you keep him chained to a tree? What a sad and lonely life. Here they classify chaining as animal cruelty; have to say...I agree.