Ronoke Rapids, NC, Bans Chaining
www.rrdailyherald.com
June 14, 2006,
ROANOKE RAPIDS, NORTH CAROLINA - Beginning today, dog owners in Roanoke Raids have 90 days to replace dog chains with pens under a revised animal ordinance unanimously adopted by city council members Tuesday evening.
One change to the ordinance states that all outdoor animals, cats as well as dogs, must be kept in a 36-square-foot enclosure per animal with a minimum height of six feet to ensure the safety of the public and a good living environment for the animals.
A second change bans animals from festivals, parades and concert events such as Fridays in the Park. Animals are also not allowed at any sporting, recreational or cultural events held in or on city property.
The ordinance goes into effect today, but council members, with the exception of Ed Deese, who was not present for the meeting, also approved a 90-day grace period for animal owners to come into compliance with the new requirements.
“It would be appropriate to educate the public and let them know what changes in the ordinance are taking place,” Police Chief Greg Lawson told council members after recommending a three- to six-month grace period.
“It's a major change to some people,” Mayor Drewery Beale added.
A dog is allowed to be on a line when an owner is out with it, but are not allowed to be kept chained at all times, Lawson said.
If more than three dogs are being kept outside, the owner must get a permit from the city, which would be issued after city officials inspected the space to make sure the pen was an adequate size.
Lawson said the committee couldn't find any national standards about the size of the pens, but a local veterinarian recommended the 36-square-foot pen.
After the grace period, owners keeping dogs on chains and not in pens will receive a citation and pay a fee and will have to comply with the ordinance to keep the animal, Lawson said. The city has one animal control officers as well as patrol officers to enforce the ordinance.
He also said his department gets calls all the time about dogs wrapped around trees, and dogs on chains are more likely to escape. “All we're thinking about is animal welfare and preventing dogs from biting.”
The committee put a lot of thought and research into the ordinance, he added. They are big changes, but people who really care about their animals won't mind making the adjustments.
Lawson said he didn't know if the changes would cause some owners to give up their dogs to animal control, but said they already take animals in on a daily basis.
City officials don't know exactly how many dogs are kept on chains or how many cats roam free. Last night after the meeting, the Daily Herald observed 10 dogs chained and two cats laying in the alley between Franklin and Vance streets in a four-block area from Eighth to 11th streets.
The ordinance doesn't classify certain breeds of dogs such as pit bulls, which have attacked a few residents and other dogs in the last two years, as “potentially dangerous,” but a committee established to review the ordinance suggested that additional research be done and an amendment could be added at a later date if needed.
