Local
DeKalb County Bans Unattended Dog Tethering, Adds Enclosure Standards
DeKalb County commissioners voted 6-0 to prohibit leaving dogs chained or tied outside without supervision in unincorporated areas, with a six-month compliance window and a proposed $50,000 fund to help low-income owners build humane enclosures.
Dog owners in unincorporated DeKalb County will soon be barred from leaving their pets chained or tied up outdoors without supervision, after the county Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a new animal welfare ordinance.
The board voted 6-0 on Nov. 10 to end unattended tethering, eliminating the county's previous allowance for practices such as running cables and trolley systems. The measure also sets minimum space requirements for outdoor dog enclosures and tightens safety rules for transporting animals in open-air vehicles.
Owners will have six months from the date the county CEO signs the ordinance to come into compliance.
District 2 Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, who sponsored the legislation, said the change gives county animal services a clearer standard to enforce while spelling out how dogs kept outdoors must be housed. Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry joined her in committing a combined $50,000 toward a proposed pilot program aimed at helping eligible residents afford humane outdoor enclosures.
The funding commitment reflects an acknowledgment by county leaders that some families may struggle with the cost of building or buying a compliant enclosure.
The new rules apply only to unincorporated DeKalb County. DeKalb joins a growing list of Georgia counties â including Henry, Walton and Clayton â that prohibit owners from leaving dogs tied in one spot outdoors without supervision.
Advocates for the change have argued that continuous tethering can cause physical harm and psychological distress in dogs, and that clear local standards make it easier for animal control officers to intervene before neglect escalates. The ordinance's enclosure requirements are intended to ensure that dogs kept outside have adequate room to move, rather than being confined to a single fixed point.
The six-month implementation period is designed to give residents time to adjust, and the proposed assistance program would target those least able to absorb the cost of new fencing, kennels or other enclosures. Details of how residents would apply for that aid have not yet been finalized.
County officials have not announced a signing date for the ordinance. Once signed, the compliance clock begins, and animal services will be responsible for enforcement in unincorporated areas.