Durham County approves pet-tethering ban

Durham, N.C. — Durham County commissioners voted four to one in favor of a pet-tethering ban Monday evening.

Under the ban, chaining a dog outside is considered animal abuse in most cases. Exceptions to the proposed law include veterinarians who are treating an animal and those training hunting and police dogs.

Violators who leave dogs unattended will face fines and could lose their animals if they can't find another way to contain them.

Last week, nearly 150 residents attended a public hearing on the law, the majority appearing to favor outlawing pet-tethering.

The law can to be after a two-year study found a majority of animal cruelty complaints were related to improper tethering.

The ban goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010.