Guest columnist
Orange County's tethering amendment becomes effective today, one year after being enacted by the Board of County Commissioners. It becomes effective several years after a rather intense legislative process in which conflicting voices were heard and compromises made, and at the end of a 12-month period of sustained public outreach and community education.
From today through May 19, 2010, our Animal Control Officers will only issue written warnings for tethering infractions. They will continue to educate and work with the owners and keepers of tethered dogs in coordination with other Animal Services staff responsible for continuing public outreach activities. Only after this six-month period will our officers begin to fully enforce the ordinance in the event that an owner does not come into compliance.
Residents who live inside the town limits of Chapel Hill, Carrboro or Mebane will not be affected by this change in the county's animal control ordinances. The ordinances only apply to the unincorporated areas of the county. As the Town of Hillsborough adopts the county's animal control ordinances, however, the county's tethering amendment will apply within the Hillsborough city limits.
Residents will need to bear in mind the difference between Orange County's tethering amendment and the ones recently enacted by elected officials in the Town of Chapel Hill and Durham County. One difference is that Orange County's amendment does not impose minimum kennel sizes for dogs. Another is that it does not prohibit but rather restricts the tethering of dogs to no more than a total of 3 hours within a 24-hour period (a restriction applying to dogs on overhead trolleys as well as tie-outs).
By contrast, the Town of Chapel Hill's tethering amendment, which becomes effective in late March 2010, will make it unlawful to tether for any amount of time (with certain exceptions) and also includes minimum kennel size requirements.
Chapel Hill's amendment is modeled on the amendment enacted by Durham County, which becomes effective Jan. 1, 2010. This amendment also outlaws tethering (with some exceptions) and establishes size requirements for kennels.
As is the case with these tethering amendments, Orange County's amendment allows for a number of exceptions.
These are when a tethered dog is in the visual range of its owner or keeper, and its owner or keeper is outside with the dog; training and performance events for dogs where tethering does not occur for more than seven days; herding, shepherding or cultivating agricultural products where tethering is reasonably necessary for the safety of the dog; and camping or other recreation where tethering is required by the camping or recreational area where the dog is located.
Other exceptions include walking a dog on a hand-held leash and holding a stray dog for no more than seven consecutive days (which also requires notifying Animal Control).
During the past 12 months, Animal Services engaged in considerable public outreach to ensure that the implementation of the ordinance restricting the tethering of dogs is effective.
Animal Services staff members have developed and distributed a frequently asked questions (FAQ) brochure available in both English and Spanish. (For the FAQ and other background documents go to http://www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/tethering.asp). Staff also posted flyers and published advertisements to raise awareness of the ordinance change, and the resources available to shift to other means of confinement.
Animal Control Officers have been talking with dog owners about the amendment and distributing helpful information. Other Animal Services staff members are bringing the amendment to the attention of adopters as well as residents when they recover their dog from the Animal Services Center.
In the next six months (and beyond) Animal Services staff will continue to work with the community to make a successful transition. It is the duty of our Animal Control officers to ensure that all dog owners and keepers comply with the restriction that has been placed on tethering. It is our commitment to do so by working with dog owners and keepers who earnestly seek to abide by the law.
In closing, it is worthwhile to recall that the welfare of our canine companions was never the only rationale for the county's tethering amendment. While it was argued that long-term tethering (which was not addressed by our ordinances) can and does contribute to neglect, it was also argued that tethering restrictions would address other concerns such as dog bites and public safety, public nuisances such as habitual barking, and unwanted breeding and pet overpopulation.
These concerns, with an overarching commitment to the well being and interest of our community, should continue to guide all of us as we move forward with this important policy change.
Robert A. Marotto is the director of Orange County's Animal Services Department. Previously, he managed the City of Minneapolis Animal Care and Control Program. He can be reached at bmarotto@co.orange.nc.us.
