Rather than put new regulations in place as it initially appeared they would do, the Crossville city council opted to enforce laws already in place at the state level concerning dogs being tethered for long periods of time in the city limits.
City Council members discuss dog tethering L-R Danny Wyatt,
Mayor James Mayberry, Pamala Harris, and Scot Shanks
Council was looking at an ordinance that would restrict the amount of time a dog may be tethered to a cord or chain. Dogs could not be tethered for more than 8 total hours in a 24 hour period and can not be left tied up at all between 7 PM and 7 AM. According to proponents of the rule, tethered dogs may be more aggressive and can get tangled and unable to reach food, water or shelter.
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Several citizens spoke during the time of public comment with a mix of those in favor and in opposition of the proposed ordinance.
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Crossville Mayor James Mayberry opened the discussion by referencing a state law, TCR 914-202 that restricts tethering a dog in a way that results in bodily injury. The First offense is a Class A misdemeanor and subsequent convictions are a Class E felony.
According to Mayor Mayberry, there are 28 states that have no laws concerning dogs on their books. He added, “I've got a real problem with the time frame, possibly hiring more animal control officers to police this. I feel that if there's an offense to this state law here and someone sees a problem they should report it to the proper authorities which is our police department.”
Mayberry concluded, “Unless I hear a motion from someone else, our state law is sufficient to police dogs.”
Council member Pamala Harris said she sponsored the group that came forward and wanted to promote the humane treatment of dogs. “The idea of the tethering law was to enhance the lives of dogs by making sure they couldn't get wrapped around a tree and could get adequate food, water and shelter,” added Harris.
Ms. Harris said she had seen dogs being mistreated and if there wasn't enough support on the council to approve the proposed ordinance then she would like to see a resolution stating that the city would have a stronger focus on enforcing the state law. “I don't like to see tethered dogs,” said Harris.
Councilman Danny Wyatt said he agreed with the folks that a dog ought not to be tied up. He added that there a lot of folks with hunting dogs that did that and he felt they would continue to do what they've always done.
Councilman Scot Shanks felt there should be better communications about what can be done and what the state law concerning dogs is.
Ms. Harris moved that the city refocus on the current state law and do a better job of enforcing it and communicating to the community about the tethering of animals and continue to monitor the situation in the city. The motion was supported by Mr. Shanks.
The motion was approved with 4 aye votes. Councilman Graham was absent from the meeting for medical reasons.
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