NEW HANOVER COUNTY -- Should New Hanover County tighten the leash law? That was the question Commissioners tackled today.
The Commission voted four to one to change the existing leash law to say a dog must be controlled by an attended leash, but for the law to pass, the vote needed to be unanimous.
New Hanover County Commissioner Chairman says the commissioners want to clarify if the leash needs to be attended by a person.
He says, with the current law’s wording, you can put a leash on a dog, drop the leash, and let the dog run.
People on both sides of the vote are passionate about their cause.
Jill Jones wants the law to state that a person must attend the leash. Jones says, "A dog left on a tether is 2.8 times more likely to attack and be more aggressive. This comes on the heels of a child who was mauled last week in Durham County by a chained dog in her own back yard.”
Wilmington Resident, Andrea Press opposes a leash law change. She says "we just increased our leash laws, we just made them more strict and today is a big step back. If you cannot tether your animal in your back yard then we'll have a problem with animals at large, which is a public safety issue."
Both sides made their case to the Commissioners today, but no final decision was made.
Marlo Hitriz who rescues animals says, “I am upset about the decision. I don't feel that it is healthy or safe for our animals to be tethered."
Opponent Andrea Press disagrees. She says, "It's sad that the County officials don't want to listen to the facts, thank God one of them is taking the time to look it over. We have parents who abuse children, we don't take away their rights to have children, so you need to promote responsible dog ownership."
The Commission will discuss the proposed change again at the next meeting on April 2 at 5:30 p.m.
Leash Law
I feel the "Leash" should be long enough to give the dog/animal room to move "freely". (We personally do not have a fenced in back yard. This gives the dog some freedom as he can move around, rather than being in his pen all the time. He is a very loving and easy going creature, yet when he gets away from you, he will sometimes leave the yard.) I do not believe they should be "tied up" for extended lengths of time. However, it is not always a bad thing as the proposal is suggesting.
Back to the subject of dogs!
Its people like you "UWannaKnow" that need to 'tethered' and then we'll see how you like it! Just because this issue is not important to you does not mean that it isn't important! I'd like to see how well you survive and thrive chained to a tree - - - until you can open your heart and mind to issues other than what the media & most corrupt government officials deem important, stop talking!
Speaking of "Dogs"
Dear Guest,
Tie me to a tree and I will get violent and ugly like the dogs did in the "study". Unlike you who isn't tied to a tree and gets ugly anyway. Uh , also the MEDIA deemed THIS important that's why it was online and in the paper, so I guess you need to stop talking too!
Why don't you register and have a name other than the 100 other "Guests" on here so people know who you are and can point you out like you did me.
Have a lovely and very important day ! :)
Bogus stats used to lobby for busybody causes
I love how animal rightists and societal busy-bodies come up with statistics which conveniently meet their lobbying needs.
For example, "Jones says, "A dog left on a tether is 2.8 times more likely to attack and be more aggressive."
According to what study? According to what group? According to what criterea? etc.etc.etc...
These types of people do this every time they go in front of lawmakers. They spout some bogus stat that has so little meaning, but if it is spouted out with conviction (or more accurately, if it is received by a lawmaker who wants to hear only what he wants to hear) than it is taken as "fact".
Finally, the story states that both sides are passionate. Well, that doesn't make the evil side right. Animal Rightists are rarely right about anything. They're hysterics and always looking to exploit the law as fast as they can in order to get it into law before anyone finds out what their ulterior agenda truly is. Talk about taking advantage of reactionary people. Go figure.
Once this comes up again, will the commissioners pass yet another sensationalist law?
Leave the public alone. Leave dog owners alone. If you want to pass a law, there are plenty of other more important things to discuss.
Nick
dogs
What I really want to know is when pit bulls are going to be outlawed??? Every single solitary day that goes by, a child or other person is either killed , attacked, or mauled by a pit bull somewhere. Let's all work together to get this breed of animal extinct. Require thousands and thousands of dollars worth of insurance to be bought by the owner of any pit bull. Make every pit bull owner have their animal fixed by the time they are 6 months old. Don't allow anyone to own more than one. Something has to be done. They are extremely dangerous killers. They will turn on their owner, and DO turn on their owners very frequently. Let's take some responsiblity here and do something!!!
DANGEROUS KILLERS???Where
DANGEROUS KILLERS???Where are you getting your STOries from??? "Every single solitary day that goes by, a child or other person is either killed, attacked or mauled by a pitbull somewhere". What country do you live in, or should I say, what WORLD? You need to do some serious research..I have owned pitbulls for over 10 years, my husband, for over 15 years, we have 3 children and have never had any trouble with them getting ATTACKED, or MAULED by NOT ONE SINGLE PITBULL!!!I give you, they have been with these dogs from birth, but for them to even be near a strange pitbull, all they want to do is lick them, or play with them..Pitbulls are just BIG BABIES, like any other type of dog in the world, they just want to be loved, played with, and fed..You are just like any other ANTI-ANIMAL person out there, you only state what you want to think, not what is really true...Do your research before you OPEN YOUR BIG HEADED MOUTH again..
Your are probably an owner of a small dog, correct? Do your research there, small dogs are ankle bitters, not all of them, but a few, there are nerves in your ankles, if that dog, or any other animal bites you there, your DEAD!! PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED!!!
Anyway, what do the pitbulls have to do with a tethering law? This law is for ALL dogs, not just one breed...
What pit bulls can teach us about profiling.
Regarding the danergers of pit bulls:
Here's an interesting article about pit bulls and profiling. It's by Malcolm Gladwell and it's called "Troublemakers: What pit bulls can teach us about profiling."
Full article here
That was a very good article
That was a very good article you posted..I do have one concern that was in the article though..About the three year old boy who was attacked by the three pitbulls, how in the H#LL did a seven month old puppy get a 3 year olds head in its mouth?? I have 3, 8 month old pits right now, and they are lucky to get a small ball, such as a tennis ball, in their mouth, yet alone a small childs head...That is the problem with society, and the media, they make the bites from pitbulls seem far worse then they truly are..I am not saying the dog didnt get part of, or a portion of the childs face in the mouth, but the head, come on..
The parts of the article stating the attacks from the other breeds of dogs, where was the media when those bites occured? You dont hear abouth the hundreds of bites that go on weekly about other dogs, do you?
Yes, I am a pit owner, I have a few dogs on chains, a few in kennels, and one in the house, not one of them act any different from the other because they are on a chain, in a kennel, or in the house..Although my dogs are very socialized with people..We have company over all the time, who are very interested and interact with these animals, each and every one of the go on a daily walk, come rain, snow, or whatever mothernature wants to throw our way, and my children play with them daily..This may be the difference between my dogs and other peoples dogs, but just to show pits are not the only man biters, or killers, they are just the only ones the media attack..
I rest my case...
PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED!!!
Of course anti-dog Guest is
Of course anti-dog Guest is one of the societal busy-bodies who actively chooses to disregard fact and choose convenient intellectual laziness and fiction. For every one dog that is considered "vicious", there are hundreds of thousands that are wonderful. The same applies to the so-called Pit Bull and other vaguely-related breeds such as the Amstaff, etc.
But Guest and other societal hysterics don't/won't want to hear that now will they?
Now who is more dangerous? The so-called Pit Bull? Or those who viciously attack property and usage rights, civil liberties, and Reason through exploiting the law simply because it suits them to do so?
Hmmmm......Hysterics really need to spank their inner child and get over themselves.
Nick
Unraveling the truth
Dear "guest" that believes "pit bulls" are bad I have some very great information for you! I would venture to guess that 10 out of 10 times, if you went to local animal controls and asked for the last 5-10 years worth of bite stats you would see that "pit bulls" are not the #1 biting dog. I have seen several counties stats and discovered that typically "pit bulls" were fifth, sixth, ninth, tenth, etc on the list of most bites per breed. But you will never believe me and you will never go and look at the stats because you can not deal with the truth. And unfortunately, that goes for most of America today as I see it. Just think what would happen if the media would run and cover EVERY single dog attack/bite instead of only covering what people consider "dangerous" dogs. It would truly be an eye opener!
Carla
Not every pit bull is a
Not every pit bull is a killer. My sister has one that will do nothing but lick you to death. It is the owners who make them killers. If a dog is brought up in a loving home then they will not turn on the owners. I suppose we should outlaw cars too because more people die in car accidents then by dog attacks.
I have a comment for your
I have a comment for your statement...Owners CANNOT make their animals killers, yes they can train them to attack a stranger, or someone they dislike, but they cannot train them to kill..Thats like saying for all the murderers in the world, their parents taught them to kill...As for the pitbull, animal aggressive, yes, they have a very HIGH prey drive, only because that is what they were bred for in the late 1800s, they are like a coon dog who was bred to hunt whatever it is they hunt, a pitbull is a wild boar hunter..
They ARE not and I cant say this enough, they ARE NOT people aggresive unless they are trained to be that way...My husband has been breeding the pitbull for over 15 years, I have done my research, as well as listen to alot of what he talks about..He knows his stuff, afterall he does write for a pitbull magazine..
thank you, thank you, thank
thank you, thank you, thank you! I am glad to hear someone relay facts and not propaganda. I own one pitt that we rescued and one amstaff. They are just big babies.
true
I have known a lot of people with pit bull's and the only ones that were mean were made that way by the owner. I have been bitten several times by dog's and none of them were pit bulls.
Problem is if pit's do bite or attack it is usually bad because they are so powerful. A lot of breeds are the same way. I wonder if inbreeding has anything to do with the angry temperament of a dog?
Dog breeds were developed for a purpose many years ago several were war dogs. We don't use them for that anymore but the traits are still here.
well, thank God
Maybe all those people arguing on the comment section about the tethering will get a LIFE now!!!!!!!!!! Dang, people cant you find something IMPORTANT to argue about???
Its people like you that
Its people like you that need to be tied to a tree and see how well you survive!! These are very important issues to many people - - I guess you're only concerned with what the majority of society deems important! Typical!
blah
w/e see above.
Well said!!!!
Well said!!!!
And just who are you to
And just who are you to decide what is important to people? This obviously is a very important issue - or they wouldn't have held a public meeting to address the issues! If it's of no interest to you, why do you post?
I am ME
Why didn't you all get so riled up about that poor baby that froze to death a few weeks ago, or the kids getting shot standing on the street this past weekend? Why is there not a public meeting on that ??? Cause your too busy brushing and petting your spoiled little pooches to give a hoot about it.
Do you not think that was important? Guess not. I post cause I CAN. It's my right, so get over it Guest.
Amen
That poor child. Where were all of you then?