Council Work Session takes another look at Animal Control Ordinances and what's Best for Pets

The Crossville city council once again looked at some possible changes in rules on tethering dogs inside the city limits but a consensus remains elusive.

The city had formed a task force on animal improvements with several local animal welfare groups and had looked at an ordinance that would disallow tethering of dogs between 7 PM and 7 AM and during the day for no longer than 8 hours at a time but failed to get enough votes to pass it. Instead, during the March council meeting, the council decided to enforce the state laws that prohibit injuring an animal with tethering.

Dogs at the animal shelter (file photo)

The additional work session on the topic was requested by council member Pamala Harris to give the council a chance to discuss animal control issues like tethering a bit more and general humane treatment of pets. Said Harris, “We can set a good example for the community by improving our ordinances without being too restrictive.”

In addition to the current state law, a new regulation has been added that will not allow tethering dogs when the temperature is under 32 or over 90 degrees.

The Crossville Police Department's animal control officer Wiley Potter said there were concerns about tethering and he said the biggest problem that he saw was when the animal got tangled up on a tether and couldn't reach their food, water or shelter. Potter, who said he had not been involved in the initial task force meetings, pointed out that dogs have lived outside for 10,000 years and that some people did not want an inside dog.

In addition, Potter pointed out that they have been asking people to keep their dogs up in compliance with the leash law adding, “Tethering is how they do it. What are we going to tell them now?”

Another problem Potter said he sees is that that chain or wire can be too big or too small for the animal being tied. “Use common sense on tethering.” In other words, Potter explained, “Don't put a chihuahua on a heavy chain or a pit bull on a light wire.”

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Potter explained that the state law requires that all dogs have food, water, and shelter. “I try to educate people and work with people,” Potter explained, “and if they don't do what I ask them to do, I cite them to court. You try to work with people, but sometimes they just don't understand.” Potter added that he looks at his job as education but he writes citations when he has to.

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The local animal welfare organizations including A Time for Paws and FOCCAS have programs that can help low-income citizens with getting a kennel to keep animals off of a tether. People can call the organizations and request assistance or referrals are made through animal control.

Council member Harris said, “There are strong opinions on either side of this issue. We have to take baby steps.” She felt the first baby step could be to address how an animal is tethered and make the ordinance something that can be enforced.

At least one citizen who attended the meeting spoke out complaining about the city telling her how to care for her animal.

While further discussion on a number of issues took place, additional study of the current situation and some local statistics were requested by the council.

Ms. Harris summed up her feelings saying, “I want to see what is good for our community."

Crossville city council work session on animal control set for April 16th

The Crossville city council plans to hold a work session on Monday, April 16 at 5:15 PM.

The meeting will be held in the third-floor conference room at Crossville city hall.  The topic of the work session is animal control and a presentation will be made by city manager Greg Wood. 

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Council previously considered a dog tethering ordinance but after some discussion, the council instead felt they would enforce the state law already on the books. A previous discussion also reviewed a so-called community cat program that would catch feral cats, spay or neuter them, vaccinate them and then release them for residents to feed. 

City and Animal Advocacy groups working together.

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Crossville City Council opts to enforce existing state law on tethering dogs does not approve new restrictions

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.   

Crossville city council considering restrictions on tethering of dogs at March 13 meeting.

Among the items discussed at the Crossville city council work session on Tuesday was proposed changes to the ordinance concerning animals.

The city has been working with local animal groups to improve the lives of pets and animals in the city. Those discussions have lead to some proposed changes In the city's animal ordinances. The City council will take up the first of these changes during their regular March meeting on Tuesday, March 13.

City Council: L-R J.H. Graham, Danny Wyatt, Mayor

James Mayberry, Pam Harris and Scot Shanks

The changes will 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 the discussion during the council work session, dogs are found to be more aggressive when they are tied up and often get tangled in the tether and are unable to reach food, water or shelter.

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Council member Pamala Harris, who was a member of the task force that looked into changes in the animal ordinances said that the group was looking at ways to prevent cruelty to animals.

Also discussed was the local animal welfare groups that have been working to help families and dog owners meet the requirements of the new ordinance with low-cost pens. A violation of the law is subject to a $50 fine in Crossville city court.

The proposed ordinance must pass three readings before going into effect.  The first reading is set for Tuesday, March 13. 

The entire ordinance with changes is below:

Title 10, Chapter 2 of the City of Crossville Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by adding Section 10- 207. SEC. 1 Policy (a)

In order to enhance the quality of life of citizens and dogs and to protect the general public from damage and nuisance that may be caused by dogs confined outdoors, the Crossville City Council prohibits the outdoor tethering of dogs between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and prohibits the tethering of dogs outside for more than eight (8) total hours in any 24-hour period.

Sec. 2 (a) No person shall tether, fasten, chain, tie, or restrain a dog, or cause a dog to be tethered, fastened, chained, tied, or restrained, to a dog house, tree, fence, or any other stationary object. (b) Notwithstanding sec. 2 (a), a person may: (1) Attach a dog to a running line, pulley, or trolley system except as follows: (A) The dog shall not be so restrained for more than eight (8) cumulative hours in any 24-hour period or 30 minutes when the temperature is above 90 degrees or below 32 degrees; and, (B) The dog shall not be so restrained between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am; and (C) The dog shall have a well-fitting collar and shall not be fitted with a choke, pinch, prong, or chain collar.

(c) A person who violates this chapter is guilty of an infraction. (1) An infraction under this chapter is punishable upon conviction by a fine of up to fifty dollars ($50) as to each dog with respect to which a violation occurs. (2) Each subsequent 24-hour period shall constitute a separate infraction. (d) The Animal Control Officer or Crossville Police may issue a correction warning to a person who violates this chapter, requiring the owner to correct the violation, in lieu of an infraction, unless the violation endangers the health or safety of the animal, the animal has been wounded as a result of the violation, or a correction warning has previously been issued to the individual. (e) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a person from walking a dog with a hand-held leash.

City of Crossville and Local Animal Welfare Groups Working Together.

Editor's note: The following information was provided by Crossville City Manager Greg Wood as part of efforts in partnership with animal welfare groups in the community and start a dialog in the community.  Your comments are welcome and will be shared with city officials. 

Don’t Tie Me Down

At the request of local animal rescues, the City of Crossville requested its staff form a task force to examine ways of legislating more cost-effective and humane care and control of dogs and community cats within the City. On the table for discussion were the tethering of dogs, trap, neuter, release/return (TNR) programs for community cats, and euthanasia of animals. The task force met and felt the first step was to begin an education process to help pet owners and the community understand the benefits of implementing the suggested changes.

One major item of discussion was tethering dogs. Research has shown dogs that are continuously tethered are much more likely to bite. Closely associated with that is a dog’s access to its food and water, especially, as often happens, the tether becomes wrapped around an object preventing the dog from reaching food or water and also shelter. The other issue also often associated with tethering is shelter from the weather or more properly lack of shelter because it is either not supplied or cannot be reached because of the entanglement issues associated with tethering.

The group realizes that sometimes tethering is the only option for a dog owner and some provision needs to be made for temporary measures. However, area rescues advocate alternatives such as kennels that will not require a large amount of property and allow a dog unencumbered access to food, water, and shelter. The result being a safer, happier, and healthier environment for the pet, the owners, and the neighborhood.

Dogs at the Cumberland County Animal Shelter

Another area that needs to be addressed are community cats, not to be confused with friendly strays. A common misconception is that neighborhoods would be better if these cats were completely eliminated. This contradicts evidence provided by the rescue groups which shows, these cats keep populations of unwanted wildlife such as rats and mice in check. They also protect their territory, so eliminating them just leaves a vacuum which results in new cats coming into a neighborhood. Many feel the better alternative is trap, neuter, release/return (TNR). This keeps the population where it needs to be (by stopping the multiplication issue) and allows the cats to be a beneficial part of an ecosystem.

There are several area animal welfare organizations that are working towards these goals including A Time for Paws (www.atime4paws.org/), Wags and Whiskers (http://www.wawpr.org/), and FOCCAS (https://foccas-tn.org/). Currently, FOCCAS is developing a program called FOCCAS On Breaking the Chains. This program seeks to help local families get as many dogs off tethers as possible. FOCCAS will find low cost, quality fencing materials, to be purchased by the pet owner, and their volunteers will provide installation and labor free of charge. Eventually, they hope to find funding to cover the expenses of the material for low-income families.

Efforts to protect Animal Shelter dogs from expected extreme cold successful

With construction still underway on the new Cumberland County Animal Shelter building and bitterly cold air moving in, a group of community animal supporters worked together to try and protect some 35 animals avoid being hurt by the single digit temperatures.

Those 35 animals were housed in outside pens.  They have some plastic and tarp walls on frames that have been built by volunteers but they are living on concrete pads and cannot get inside to any heated space.

Outdoor runs at the Cumberland Co. Animal Shelter are partly

protected from the wind but still exposed to the coming single

digit temperatures with no heat sources.  

With the cold moving in a group of animal supporters sent out word requesting help because the shelter would be closed both Sunday and Monday for the holiday and Saturday was the only day the animals could be fostered out for a short-term until the weather warmed up.

We talked to a shelter volunteer who gave us this information:

"As of this Saturday morning, there were at least 35 dogs living outdoors at the shelter and some animal welfare groups wanted to help. One of the groups put out pleas on Facebook for volunteer “foster homes” for dogs. It turns out that to become authorized as an animal foster parent there is a process that can’t be done quickly and not on a weekend. The Shelter Director, who was not working Saturday, agreed to authorize an experienced shelter volunteer and animal advocate to interview each “emergency foster parent” on Saturday if that volunteer would accept responsibility for ensuring the safe return of the animals when the cold weather abated. All of this resulted in 18 “Emergency Foster Parents” providing safe, warm housing for over 35 dogs and making room that allowed all of the remaining shelter dogs to be brought inside the building for several days."

Crossville Council hears from animal advocacy group about need for ordinance updates

Meeting in work session, the Crossville city council talked about forming a task force to consider updates to animal control ordinances as suggested by local animal organization Time 4 Paws.

In addition, council discussed a proposal from the fire department on the purchase of two new frontline fire apparatus that could save the taxpayers $162,000.

Also, the council will consider a memorandum of understanding with a company that helps cities find ways to reduce energy costs and use the savings to pay for other types of improvements.

Karen McMeekin with A Time 4 Paws addressed the council about updates to the city's animal control ordinances. She said that the goal was to reduce the kill rate of animals in the community and to reduce animal abuse cases and see that abusers are penalized.

Karen McMeekin, founder of A Time 4 Paws

shared a photo of a dog on a chain with council

members during the October work session.

McMeekin explained that the community could be recognized as a no-kill community if the number of animals killed was 10 percent or less. She said that it is impossible to drop that number to 0 percent as some animals cannot be saved due to injury or illness.

According to McMeekin, when she first moved to Crossville she told the council the live release rate (animals that went to their owners home of to rescues) was only 10 to 15 percent. She said now the rate was between 85 and 85 percent.

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The purpose of A Time 4 Paws is to provide education and programs to the community and to assist the animal shelter in reducing the number of animals being killed. The group has not received any city funding in the 12 years it has operated and is not currently seeking any.

The city's current ordinances are very outdated and need language updated and improved McMeekin told the council. She added that they would not be attractive to new residents moving here.

The ordinances the group is proposing the council look at include limiting the amount of time an animal can be kept on a chain or wire run (wire between 2 trees with a traveling chain to give a dog a little more run then chained to a tree) as it can make an animal more dangerous. The group an assist with helping families with dog houses, fence building and other ways they can improve the dog's living condition.

Additional ordinances would cover a community cat program where feral cat communities are cared for, animals are marked, vaccinated and fixed and then don't have to be caught or otherwise become a burden on animal control. In addition an ordinance on rescue organizations and what they can do to assist with the animal problem.

Council discussed the formation of a task force that would include members of A Time 4 Paws, other animal groups and the city manager to review the current ordinances one at a time and bring back recommendations to the council at a future time.