Earlier this month, the Town Council passed a law that requires animals to be in an enclosed space with food and water. According to the ordinance, animals “shall not be tied, chained, fastened or otherwise tethered to any stationary or inanimate object as a means of confinement or restraint to a property, but must be in an approved enclosure.”

Councilman Alex Harding, an animal lover, spearheaded the efforts for the law. “I’ve gotten a lot of support since the ordinance passed,” he said. “I have received many calls from people who live in town and out of town supporting it and asking how they could do the same thing. There is a lot of interest in this.”

The town’s one animal-control officer will handle violations, which come with a $50 fine for the first violation; $75, second violation; and $100, third and subsequent violations. Clayton Police Capt. Wayne Bridges said the department receives complaints weekly about dogs being unable to reach food, water and shade because they are tethered.

New Hanover County is the only county in North Carolina with an anti-tethering law, which went into effect 13 years ago. Dogs died from heat stroke, almost choked to death and were more aggressive as a result of being tethered, the county said. One tethered dog attacked a child after the child stuffed beans up its nose.

Dr. Jean McNeil, manager of animal services for New Hanover County, said making tethering illegal was the only option to keep the animals safe. “If you don’t have it in place, then you don’t have to enforce it, but once it’s there, you can make a difference,” she said.

Fines in New Hanover are hefty. Animal-control officers write $250 citations, but will not enforce the fine if the owner builds a fence or keeps the dog indoors. Animals can be tethered if a person is physically present with them.

A high fine forces most animal owners to obey the law, McNeil said. “If you hit them in the pocketbook, that usually causes them to do something about it,” she said. “When they have an amount of money against them and their credit, it is more compelling for them to go ahead and comply.”

For Orange County, trying to get an anti-tethering law passed has been a challenge. A proposal would limit tethering to no more than three hours within a 24-hour period. Also, the proposal specifies the types of collars and tethers allowed and requires a minimum kennel size for dogs outdoors.

Members of the Orange County Tethering Committee spent six months working on the proposed ordinance. “The concerns that motivated that consideration not only included human concerns, but how animals are kept on an ongoing basis, sometimes seven days a week, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year,” said Orange County Animal Services director Bob Marotto.

If the ordinance is approved, it would take more than a year before any citations were issued. “The recommendation is that there would be a whole year of public outreach and education before the ordinance became effective,” Marotto said. “The only action taken within the first six months after that would be written warnings. Next, it would be $200 fines, and if there were subsequent violations, the animal could be impounded and returned dependent upon compliance.”

Johnston County Animal Services director Ernie Wilkinson thought Clayton was wise to pursue an anti-tethering law. “Clayton has stepped up with this thing,” he said. “I hope it works out for them.”