Monday night the Arlington City Council unanimously passed a law that limits how people can tether their dogs.
The new law restricts tethering of animals between the hours of 11 PM. and 5 AM. It also requires that the animal must have access to clean water and adequate shelter while tethered.
Arlington is the second city in the state to set limits on tethering. Tacoma passed tethering regulations in 2009 but didn’t set a limit on how long dogs can be tethered.
Blaze. Image from Q13 Fox.
The new laws go into effect by October 1, 2015.
This issue wasn’t on the city’s radar until Q13 Fox ran a story about Blaze, a black Labrador Retriever which people have seen tethered to a tree in its back yard for multiple hours a day and wearing a cone for the last 5 years.
“Dozens” of people called 911 to report Blaze’s condition. However, the city of Arlington did nothing because “no laws have been broken.”
This outraged dog lovers in Arlington. Several of them organized a grassroots effort to convince the Mayor and City Council to set limits on tethering. One of them immediately posted this petition asking the city to help Blaze. Almost 15,000 people signed it.
They then worked with the Washington Association of Animal Care and Control Agencies and Pasado’s Safe Haven to make recommendations for the new regulations and work to get them passed.
It is now a violation in Arlington:
(1) To tether any animal in such a manner as to permit the animal to leave the owner’s property;
(2) To tether any animal in such a manner that allows the animal to be within ten feet of any public right-of-way;
(3) To tether any animal in such a manner that the animal can become entangled with any obstruction or any other tethered animal or be able to partially or totally jump over any fence;
(4) To tether any animal in a manner that prevents it from lying, sitting, and standing comfortably, and without the restraint becoming taut;
(5) To tether any animal that is sick, injured, or in distress, in the advanced stages of pregnancy, or under six months of age;
(6) To tether any animal during any severe weather advisories, warnings, or emergencies that have been issued or declared by the national weather service for the location at which the animal is tethered, unless the animal is provided with natural or manmade shelter that is adequate to keep it safe, dry, and protected under such conditions;
(7) To tether any animal in a manner that results in the animal being left in unsafe or unsanitary conditions, or that forces the animal to stand, sit, or lie down in its own excrement or urine; or otherwise endangers the health or safety of the animal.
(8) To tether any animal between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am.
Kudo’s to Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert and the City Council for passing tougher tethering standards. I hope other Washington cities will follow their example.
Thank you for the new tethering standards for dogs. I hope this will be put into place everywhere.
Me too!
Amen from Georgia.
Very good news indeed. ..the owners of Blaze should be ashamed. ..if they don’t want to be bothered with him, they should surrender him so that he can find a good home where he’ll be loved.
Absolutely. Unfortunately his owner will not surrender him despite numerous offers. Several people offered $1000 and higher and he still wouldn’t do it.
It’s about time that something is done to improve the quality of life of neglected animals. If we need to pass laws to do so; then so be it. What are the penalties for noncompliance? Fines or removing the animal? I hope it’s both!
Here are the penalties – (i) A first offense of this section is a class 1 civil infraction under RCW
7.80.120(1)(a). A second or subsequent offense is a misdemeanor.
The penalty for the first offense is up $250. Penalties for additional offenses can go up to $1000 and 90 days in jail.
Thats B/S. I know he loves that dog. So to say he should be ashamed of himself for negate, thats f*@%^# bull and over exaggerating that blaze had been chained and coned for five years. REALLY! Get a life and i hope he dont sell his dog. He has been within the rights and laws. I do agree that animals are important but come on now, sell you damn dog.
Good job! Idiots and unlovable people should be unlawful for them to have pets
I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY DOGS HAVE TO BE TEATHERED AT ALL. BETWEEN 11PM AND 5AM IS BED TIME, THEY SHOULD BE IN BED SLEEPING.
I know I’m late to comment, been sick. I just pray those people are doing the right thing by Blaze. I have’nt seen any new pics, is that plastis cone off yet? I pray he got the vet care n meds so no more cone! If you have any up date I would really apr. it, thank you!!!
I haven’t heard anything. Hopefully that means it’s not happening any more.