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Animal-rights advocate proposes Poland tether ordinance
By Bruce Walton
POLAND
Village council has asked its legislative committee to review a request for a dog tethering ordinance.
Animal-rights advocate Jason Cooke asked council Tuesday night to consider the law, which would prohibit owners from leaving their dogs tethered outdoors during extreme weather conditions.
“There really is no reason to tether an animal outside, especially when you’re talking about extreme temperature,” Cooke said.
However, Councilman Bob Limmer said no village residents own as many dogs as Cooke, and called the proposal a “ridiculous ordinance.”
The proposal is irrelevant, he said, suggesting that Cooke, a Boardman resident, is asking for it because of the number of dogs he owns.
“It’s unrealistic of what you’re asking us to do, Limmer said. “It just is ridiculous because of your circumstances of wanting too many dogs.”
Cooke said he didn’t understand how the number of dogs one owns and how many he ties up is related to the proposed ordinance.
Limmer replied that Cooke simply didn’t understand the relevancy of the correlation.
Cooke first proposed the ordinance earlier this year but no action was taken. He returned Tuesday to renew his request for approval.
Other local communities, including Struthers, Girard and Boardman, have adopted similar tethering ordinances.
The ordinance Cooke is proposing would prohibit tethering dogs between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. during extreme weather conditions. Violations would be a misdemeanor.
Cooke explained after the meeting that tethering dogs like they are now is cruel treatment and can condition dogs to be vicious with anti-social tendencies and could ultimately protect other members of the local community.
He has nine dogs, and said he would never chain them outside.