ORD-2008-069 - Proposed Animal Ordinance Amendment on the Tethering of Dogs

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U fair, and it is bad public policy. She said that this same concept was debated in a Senate committee in the legislature, but the bill never got out of committee. She said that inhumane treatment of animals is already against the law. She asked the County Commissioners to consider cautiously looking at this from the attitude and the positions of the citizens. She questioned the assumption that tethering is mistreatment of animals. Jason Payne is a member of the Eno River Coon Hunters Association. He said that he and his father have raised and trained dogs since he was 15 years old, and they tether their dogs, but they also exercise them and take care of them. He is opposed to this amendment because he does not believe that the descriptions in the amendment would accomplish what people are trying to accomplish, which is better treatment of animals. Lamar Chapman lives in Orange County and said that he has numerous dogs and most are not tethered. The ones that are tethered chew through a fence. He said that he has been to all of the committee meetings and the committee is not listening to the citizens of Orange County. He said that most of the people that are supporting this ordinance are not from Orange County. He said that people are scared of speaking tonight because of Animal Control coming to their property. He said that the people of unincorporated Orange County are not even aware of this proposal. He showed some pictures that someone else had brought of dogs that were chained and the collars were not embedded and the dogs were healthy. He suggested having another public meeting. George Painter is President of the Eno River Coon Hunters Association. He said that this is a people problem, not a dog problem, and there needs to be education of dog owners on the treatment of dogs. He said that a person that neglects an animal will neglect it no matter if it is on a chain or in a kennel. He said that.the County Commissioners should spend more time and better time on other problems in the County than passing more laws that will not help dogs or the animal control problems. Andrea Press is the N.C. Director of Responsible Dog Owners. She said that this movement has been going through the country for the past year and a half. Animal rights activists are quick to show pictures of dogs who have been chained improperly and the media are quick to vilify the owner who tethers the dog. He said that people are being spoon fed the idea that tethering is wrong by the animal rights activists. She gave statistics of children that were killed by dogs because of parental neglect. She said that responsible dog owners have the right to chain or not chain their dogs for whatever reason. Amanda Arrington said that she represents people not here as the Director of the Coalition to Unchain Dogs. She said that sometimes you must legislate in order to educate. She agreed that cruelty can happen in any situation. She said that dogs that are chained are more susceptible to being attacked. Bobby Kirk said that he is disappointed in the way that this is going.. He has tried to get on the committee, and he was not allowed. He said that he has trained dogs for 40 years. He said that he has dogs come to him from all over the country that have been kenneled, but his best dogs are tethered. He urged the County Commissioners to reconsider this. He said to the committee that they never listened to the Orange County citizens. He said that tethering dogs is not bad. Michael Kirk lives in southern Orange County. He said that he looked at the Animal Services website and read the amendment. He said that the costs of this amendment are supposed to be absorbed back in the budget. He asked if the Animal Control Officers do anything all day now. He said that he rode around within five miles of Chapol Hill and he counted 38 tethered dogs and 72 dogs that were in kennels smaller than what is recommended. He does not know how the costs of this are going to be absorbed, because this will be a lot of work. He said that he has had dogs all of his life and the ones that are tethered are the friendliest dogs.