Tied-up dogs may soon feel some relief in Montgomery County, but not as much as sought by County Executive Ike Leggett. Leggett (D) hoped to prohibit owners from leaving their dogs tethered in their yards, unless the owner was outside with the animal and able to keep an eye on it. The county council's three-person public safety panel Thursday endorsed tightening the current regulations for tying up Toto, but it didn't go as far as Leggett hoped.
The committee wants the county to limit dog owners to two hours of outside tethering a day that must occur between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Current county law prohibits tethering animals outside between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
"That is an extraordinarily long time to have a dog tethered, it can raise all sorts of problems," Councilman Phil Andrews said of the 16-hour block of time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
"There has been a lot of information provided that says that it is not only cruel to dogs but also detrimental to public safety because of the potential affect on a dog's behavior," he said.
Andrews, and fellow Council Members Marc Elrich and Roger Berliner—who make up the public safety panel—also want to require owners to use a swivel leash intended to avoid entanglement. SOURCE: North Potomac Patch
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