Alex Beall
WMAL.com
FAIRFAX (WMAL) — Dogs are getting a little love from Fairfax County.
The county’s Board of Supervisors is considering a bill that would restrict the amount of time an animal could legally be tethered or left in a hot or freezing car.
“Now’s the time for Fairfax County to be joining some of these other jurisdictions who have already enacted this and continue to be a leader in humane treatment of animals,” said Supervisor Jeff McKay, who proposed the bill.
The bill is modeled after one enacted in Richmond and increases penalties for leaving a dog tethered or in a car for too long.
The Humane Society said that keeping dogs tied up is a public safety issue, they then become agitated and are more likely to bite.
McKay said that dogs tend to bark more and disturb neighborhoods when they are tied up for long periods on time.
“There have been some cases where you have people who tie up a dog for hours on end, barks all day and that has a quality of life impact on a neighbor, without a doubt,” he said.
He explained that this has increasingly become a problem as Fairfax continues to urbanize, and people live closer together.
The board plans to vote on the bill later this year.
Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo:Flickr.com)
