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RICH SQUARE – The town commissioners of Rich Square recently approved amendments to the town’s animal ordinance to include a ban on tethering unattended animals.

The ordinance changes add specific language to prohibit tying or chaining dogs to an object, and it also enhances existing anti-cruelty language to require that animals receive sufficient food, fresh water, adequate shelter, and necessary vet care for dogs in Rich Square.

According to the ordinance, any person in violation may incur a civil penalty to the town up to $250. Additionally, it can also constitute as a misdemeanor punishable under state law.

With a unanimous vote of approval by the town board, the ordinance becomes effective October 1.

Rich Square Mayor Victoria Newcombe told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald that the board requested the delayed enactment so that residents will have sufficient notice to make arrangements for penning their dogs.

She also stated that they will let town residents know about the change through distributing flyers and including a notice on water bills. The ordinance is also available on the town’s website, and a community meeting will be held before October for discussion and outreach.

The ordinance amendments came about after PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) made several presentations to the town, sharing their concerns about local dogs that have suffered from severe heat and cold while chained. The proposal was on the board’s agenda multiple times the past few months to discuss rollout of the ordinance and to iron out logistical issues.

“I am gratified by the [town] commissioners’ support of the anti-tether law to prevent suffering and improve the quality of life for Rich Square dogs,” Mayor Newcombe said. “I am also committed to working with dog owners to make this process as easy and uncomplicated as possible. It was time to join other communities in northeast North Carolina who have adopted similar anti-tethering laws to treat our dogs humanely.”

Officials with PETA also expressed their gratitude to the town for their decision.

“Dogs in Rich Square will be spared a lifetime of isolation outside at the end of a chain, where they’re often denied companionship, exercise, and sometimes even food and water,” said PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch in a press release. “PETA stands ready to help residents comply with this lifesaving ordinance and urges other communities to follow Rich Square’s lead by banning the cruel practice of keeping dogs chained outside like old bicycles.”

The press release noted that PETA’s field rescue team often finds dogs tethered outdoors without adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care even when gravely ill or injured, confined to the same few square feet of space 24/7 without any opportunity to enjoy life. They have discovered chained dogs frozen to death during cold snaps or dead from heatstroke on sweltering summer days.

Along with advocating for tethering bans, such as the one Rich Square just approved, PETA staffers and volunteers also deliver straw bedding and insulated wooden doghouses for dogs kept outdoors.

As temperatures remain high throughout the summer, PETA urges people to be on the lookout for any dog kept chained or penned outside 24/7. Witnesses should take pictures from public property; note how long an animal is left without adequate food, water, or shelter; and alert local law enforcement authorities immediately.