Starting Nov. 1, a new ordinance goes on the books in Hall County that prohibits the unsupervised tethering of dogs.
The Hall County Commission unanimously approved the new measure at its Thursday night voting session, drawing cheers from dozens of people who showed up to ask for support of the ban.
Following the vote, Hall County Animal Services Director Mike Ledford said the new ordinance is not meant to punish responsible dog owners who may use a tether to allow their pets some time outdoors.
"We want those folks to seek us out and get the [educational] information that we have that will allow them to do the things that they want to do with their pets but stay within the ordinance confinements," Ledford said. "I think there's flexibility in there for those folks."
Ledford said the ordinance will be complaint-driven; his employees will not be traveling the county looking for violators.
"We'll go out and act as an educational process for those citizens and let them know that there are other options besides tethering," Ledford said.
He pointed out that his animal control officers have had to deal with some gruesome cases in Hall County, and the ordinance will give them an additional tool to punish people who are cruel to animals.
"We've dealt with everything from no shelter, no food and water and tied out [with] no way to get out of the elements, imbedded collars where they put it on as a puppy and the dog grew, but it [the collar] didn't get expanded - those are the types of things that we're targeting to try to eradicate in Hall County," Ledford said.
While the ordinance goes into effect next week, there is a 180-grace period where violators will be given warnings instead of fines.
The new ordinance reads as follows:
It shall be unlawful for the owner of a canine or one who has a canine in his possession to restrain or leave unattended by means of anchoring with a chain, cable, rope, leash, runner, cord or similar tethering device.
