Royston Begins Enforcement of Anti-Tethering Ordinance

Royston City Marshal Jacob Fannin says he has begun enforcing the City’s new ordinance pertaining to anti-tethering.

Fannin tells WLHR News studies show that dogs that live a life at the end of a chain become aggressive and psychologically damaged.

According to the new City’s anti-tethering law, a dog may only be tethered if there’s someone with it and it’s temporary.

Under the ordinance, it is also not permitted to use a chain, choke, prong, pinch, or slip lead on the dog.

It is also a violation of the ordinance to add heavy metal locks to the chain or to restrict the dog’s range of movement to less than 10 feet or place the tether in such a way that it could easily become tangled and restrict the dogs’ movement.

Fannin noted that dogs that are tethered can often overturn their food and water bowls and are typically not looked after becoming quote, “part of the scenery” and end up being largely neglected.

He recommended a number of alternatives to keeping a dog tied up outside.

The new anti-tethering ordinance went into effect October 10 and Fannin is now going through Royston and issuing warnings to people who have their dogs tied out.

Fannin said if a dog owner is issued a citation it will be up to the judge to decide on the amount of the fine or any other penalties.

Anyone with questions about the anti-tethering ordinance can contact Fannin at 706-988-6672 or email him at [email protected].

You can hear about Royston’s new anti-tethering ordinance this Sunday on Community Forum which airs at 12:03p on 92.1 Lake Hartwell Radio.