Dog tethering rises as key issue in Gwinnett’s proposed animal ordinance changes | Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE — Do Gwinnett County’s public safety officers have better things to do with their time than hanging out to see how long a dog has been tethered to a post?

Snellville resident and animal rights advocate Jen Wagner seems to think so.

Wagner addressed the county commission Tuesday about a proposed major overhaul of the county’s animal control ordinance. If approved by county leaders, the changes would, among other things, eliminate a loophole that lets pet owners leave their animals tethered outdoors and unsupervised for up to an hour at a time.

The tethering issue, under the current law, requires a delicate balance for the county’s law enforcement agencies as Wagner pointed out to commissioners.

“As the law stands now, Gwinnett officers would be required to sit and watch a dog for an hour to determine whether the owner was breaking the law,” Wagner said. “I think we can all agree our law enforcement officials have much, much better use of their time, but at the same time, these residents can’t be allowed to continue to violate the law day after day.”

via Dog tethering rises as key issue in Gwinnett’s proposed animal ordinance changes | Gwinnett Daily Post.