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Tethering Committee Report July 30 'h, 2007 <br />APPENDIX I. <br />Creation of the Orange County Tethering Committee and Board of County <br />Commissioners' Abstract for Creation of the Tethering Committee <br />Committee Creation <br />a� <br />T <br />The concerns surrounding tethering vary greatly and include issues of both animal and public <br />welfare. Because of these concerns, the practice of tethering has become a policy issue, not only in <br />our own community, but in communities throughout North Carolina and around the country. <br />Of particular concern are dogs that spend their lives tethered, as they are naturally social beings and <br />thrive on frequent interaction with humans and other animals. Additionally, there is concern that <br />tethered animals, deprived of socialization and exercise, develop behavioral problems or aggression, <br />and as a result, pose a risk to the community through dog bites and attacks. Other concerns involve <br />the role of tethered dogs in contributing to community problems such as pet overpopulation and <br />nuisance barking. <br />The issue of tethering in Orange County initially surfaced from the efforts of some local animal <br />advocates, who created an area "Coalition to Unchain Dogs," and began to advocate against the <br />practice of tethering. Their efforts mirrored initiatives elsewhere to limit, restrict or outlaw <br />tethering. All of these efforts are concerned with both public safety and animal welfare. <br />The Orange County Tethering Committee was formed by the BOCC in October 2006 in response to <br />local concerns about the issue. An abstract for the creation of the Tethering Committee appears at <br />the end of this Appendix.$ The BOCC charged the committee with: <br />• Reviewing tethering as a policy issue and reporting on it as a means of confinement, <br />including the activities and efforts of other communities; <br />8 The issue of tethering was originally considered by the ASAB, which created a subcommittee to address the matter. <br />The subcommittee met and decided that it would.need to bring in outside members of the community, a function <br />reserved for the BOCC. It was at that time that the BOCC created the Tethering Committee to work in conjunction with <br />the ASAB in deciding in what ways, if any, the ordinance that governs tethering should be changed. <br />1R <br />