Hampton City Council moves to ban dog tethering

The Hampton City Council moved to ban dog tethering Wednesday, July 11, according to a city council press release.

Tethering is the act of chaining a dog to a tether, or run, outside. Those in favor of the ban had argued that tether can create aggressive behavior in dogs and that some owners may use the tether as a form of neglect, leaving the animal outdoors for an excessive amount of time without proper food or water supply, according to the release.

Before the ban went into place, a previous ordinance was discussed that would allowed limited tethering dependent on the time of day and how close the dog owner was to the animal. A permit would have been needed, costing $25.

The city of Hampton conducted an unscientific survey, responded to by 2,000 people. 57% of the 2,000 people that responded voted for the complete ban of dog tethering in the city of Hampton, according to the release.

A public hearing was not required for the city council to pass this ordinance but citizens were invited to voice their concerns at a public comment session that occurred directly before the council meeting.

The council will release an official ordinance at a a later date.

For more information, call 757-728-3276.

Filed under: GOVERNMENT