Council may hear anti-tethering proposal

• By SANDY DAVIS
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 8, 2009

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A Metro Council member plans to seek passage of a proposed ordinance later this month that would prohibit people from leaving their dogs tethered and unattended outdoors.

First-term Councilwoman Alison Cascio said Friday she hopes to introduce the ordinance at the Nov. 24 meeting but may have to defer it while details are fine-tuned.

Cascio said she became involved in the issue after she was elected to office a year ago and was approached by several constituents who wanted to see such a law passed.

“They told me they’d been working on this issue for a long time and it really needed to be done in Baton Rouge,” she said. “After looking into it, and as an animal lover, I decided I wanted to be the vehicle to get this passed here.”

Cascio joined a committee of 10 to 12 residents, which included animal rights activists, concerned residents and several parish attorneys, to work on preparing the ordinance.

After working with the committee, Cascio said, she now considers prohibiting tethering a “matter of humane treatment of animals.

“Tying up a dog and leaving it outside is cruel. It leaves a dog defenseless and out in the elements for hours at a time,” Cascio said.

“And dogs that are tied up for long periods can become aggressive,” she added.

The proposed ordinance says people who leave dogs tethered would face prosecution for cruelty to animals.

A cruelty to animals conviction carries penalties of a $500 fine or imprisonment for not more than 180 days or both.

Current city laws allow tethering a dog as long as “adequate daily socialization and exercise are allowed.”

The ordinance defines how a dog may be tethered safely and what equipment should be used.

But the ordinance notes that continuous maintenance of a tethered dog can be “abnormally restrictive and stressful and often result in health and temperament problems.” It also says that long-term tethering can cause a dog to “suffer unnecessarily.”