Legislation on tethering or chained dogs

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recommends against the tethering or chaining of dogs as a method of continuous confinement. Not only is this practice inhumane but it is also dangerous to the confined dog, humans, and other animals. Several communities have banned the tethering and chaining of dogs altogether, while other communities have enacted ordinances to restrict the length of time than an animal may be continuously tethered. Still other communities have passed ordinances that impose certain conditions that must be met if an animal is kept chained. Greenville, N.C., has an ordinance that allows the tethering of animals provided that certain conditions are met for the animals' well-being. The ordinance stipulates that the tethering device be a minimum length and not threaten the animal with choking or injury.

c. 4-5 Animal care generally
(c) Any chain, leash, or similar device for an animal restraint shall be designed and placed to prevent choking or injury to the animal. The restraining device shall be at least ten feet in length and placed on a swivel or on a chain run.
It is questionable that this ordinance meets the animal's well-being. The Pitt County Humane Society has responded to numerous calls where an animal has choked while being on a tethering device. Pitt County does not have an ordinance to address this issue. There are dogs all over Pitt County on continuous tethering devices.

Contact your City Council and County Commissioners (clicking on this link will bring up a long page with the addresses and phone numbers of the members of the Greenville City Council) and strongly urge them to develop ordinances that ban completely keeping an animal continuously chained.

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