Montgomery County officials are resisting a proposal that would require dog owners to remain in sight of their pooches when tying them up.
County Council members Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville, and Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda/Potomac, on Monday objected to County Executive Ike Leggett’s recommendation, saying it would unfairly burden those who briefly tie up their dogs while shopping or eating in establishments that don’t allow canines.
“I think it’s an undue requirement,” Andrews said of the legislation. “Essentially, it’s outlawing tethering, which I don’t think is inherently cruel.”
The two council members told officials with the county’s animal services division to take the eyesight provision out of the bill.
Instead, Andrews said the focus should be on prolonged tethering. Right now, county residents are barred from tying up their dogs between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
