Ban of continuous dog chaining proposed by County Council for study

Dogs are nearly three times more likely to bite when continuously tethered

“Dogs who are continuously chained are nearly three times more likely to bite than unchained dogs, and the practice has been called inhumane by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said Council Chair Julia Patterson, prime sponsor of the motion. “For the health and welfare of both people and dogs, I want to know if a ban on continuous dog chaining is practical and enforceable in King County.”

“Dogs are social pack animals, and forced isolation through continuous chaining can make them aggressive and even vicious,” said Council Vice Chair Dow Constantine, a motion co-sponsor. “We already have laws in King County governing dogs whose behavior makes them a nuisance or a threat. A ban on continuous chaining would address one cause of this behavior.”

According to the American Veterinary Association, dogs that are continuously confined by chain or tether may exhibit aggressive behavior toward humans and other animals. The proposed motion would direct the Executive to study the feasibility of banning continuous chaining of dogs and report the findings to the Council by the end of 2008.

The proposed motion calls for the final study to incorporate comments from the King County Sheriff, the King County Prosecutor, the King County Animal Control Officers Guild, the National Animal Control Association, and county residents. The study would also address the costs and challenges of implementing the ban in both unincorporated areas of King County and in suburban cities that contract with the County for animal control services.

The motion was referred to the Council’s Committee of the Whole for review.