Portland News

County poised to limit time dogs may be tied up outside

06/21/02

Tying up a dog outside for more than 10 hours in any 24-hour period would lead to trouble for Multnomah County dog owners under new regulations proposed Thursday.

Although a final vote will not occur until June 27, county commissioners expressed unanimous support for the rules designed to reduce animal abuse and relieve neighborhood complaints.

Under current laws, tethering a dog for unlimited periods is permitted as long as the animal has food, water and access to shelter. But long-term tethering is considered animal abuse in some quarters and causes noise and other problems for neighbors.

Commissioner Lisa Naito, who proposed the 10-hour rule, said it was a compromise "that doesn't go far enough for some people." She said some jurisdictions have banned outdoor tethering completely.

The minimum fine would be $100, but county animal control officials don't expect to impose it often. Gary Hendel, animal control director, said it would be used in cases of "very severe cases of neglect and abuse that don't meet textbook standards."

In one case, for example, he said he knows of a dog that has been tethered outside continuously for four years.

"We won't be using stopwatches," he added, referring to the 10-hour limit.

Phyllis Johnson, an animal advocate who pressed the county for tethering rules, said long-term outdoor leashing is "extreme cruelty to begin with" and "really hard on the neighbors."

The county has prepared a warning sheet that states the new law on one side and on the other lists the reasons for it. Hendel said the strategy is intended to promote the bond between humans and companion animals, not just to prevent abuse.

As commissioners individually expressed their support, Commissioner Lonnie Roberts, a longtime dog lover, said, "The only problem I have with this ordinance is that I did not think of it first."

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