Suffolk, Va. - The City of Suffolk is considering an ordinance to put restrictions on dog-tethering.
Currently no local laws in Suffolk restrict the practice of dog-tethering.
"The only thing that Suffolk uses as do some others is the state statute," explained City Councilman Mike Duman.
Duman says the state law is too vague and doesn't directly address tethering.
He says it's a concern in a large city like Suffolk where many dogs are left chained in yards.
"There's a fairly good amount of tetherings going on within the city and to me, it just needed to be more regulated so that if an individual did choose - we can make sure it was being done in a humane fashion," Duman stated.
Duman is pushing for the ordinance in Suffolk after seeing other communities in Hampton Roads take action.
"The reason it kind of came to a head with me is that Hampton had recently passed an ordinance in regards to dog tethering. They're the only ones that prohibit it," Duman stated.
Suffolk's ordinance wouldn't outright ban tethering, but instead would impose time restrictions on how long dogs could be tethered and limit what types of materials could be used.
"It will allow a responsible pet owner to tether their dog but first and foremost protect the welfare of the animal," Duman explained.
The Suffolk City Council will consider the dog-tethering ordinance at their March 20th meeting.
