DeKalb, Santa Rosa Counties Bar Leaving Dogs Unattended on Tethers

DeKalb County, Georgia, unanimously approved an ordinance barring owners in unincorporated areas from leaving dogs unattended on tethers and requiring adequate outdoor enclosures. The rules take effect six months after the county CEO signs them, and commissioners have committed $50,000 to a pilot program helping eligible residents obtain enclosures. In Santa Rosa County, Florida, commissioners also unanimously adopted an animal-tethering ordinance after a public hearing where most speakers supported it. Residents described dogs left chained in dangerous conditions, including one dog that endured Hurricane Isaias outdoors; the animal was later rescued under a separate law prohibiting animals from being left outside during natural disasters.