Limits Approved on Keeping Dogs Tethered
Montgomery County, Maryland
June 26, 2002 -- The County Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve a regulation that limits the hours a dog can be chained or tethered and requires that dogs be given adequate shelter if they are kept outside. It takes effect immediately.
The regulation is intended to stop people from keeping their dogs tied to a stake or other stationary object. Animal rights activists say the practice is inhumane and can lead to health problems and aggressive behavior in the dogs.
The regulation generally prohibits dogs from being tethered outside between 10 pm and 6 am. Dog owners will be required to either bring the dog indoors or provide the animal with an enclosed area and appropriate shelter from the weather. The county’s director of Animal Control will be allowed to grant a waiver in rare cases.
Those who do not comply face fines of $500 to $5,000 depending on the seriousness of the offense. Lawmakers said the regulation will be enforced on a case-by-case basis.
“It’s a start, something on the books,” said Susan Rich, a longtime animal rights activist from Silver Spring who is running for County Council.
The council considered banning tethering between the hours of midnight and 5 n but several legislators called for stricter measures.
Councilman Michael L. Subin (D-At large) of Gaithersburg was not present for the vote.
