Dog chain ordinance a no-brainer
Issues like this make you wonder why some people even have pets in the first place. Is it to leave neglected dogs tethered with heavy metal chains and choke collars , sometimes sick, hurt, unvaccinated, with little or no food, water or access to shelter in cold, rain or blistering heat?
These are some of the heart-wrenching sights and experiences shared by about three dozen people who came to Columbus Council this week. They came to support a proposed ordinance governing how and how long dogs can be restrained by stationary tethers within city limits. First reading of the ordinance was Tuesday; second reading and a vote are scheduled for March 14.
This is a serious problem in Columbus, Becky Carter of the Animal Advisory Board said in a story reported this week by staff writer Alva James-Johnson. And not only do chained dogs not protect public safety — they potentially threaten it, Carter said, because restrained dogs have no chance to become socialized.
The proposed ordinance would, among other requirements, make it unlawful to leave animals tethered and unattended for more than 12 hours at a time in any 24-hour period; prohibit the use of ropes and chains; require material specifically approved for animal tethering which cannot exceed a certain weight; and prohibit choke or pinch collars.
Christy Noullet, who led the citizen delegation at the Tuesday meeting, has collected more than 19,000 signatures supporting the proposed ordinance, which is sponsored by Councilors Gary Allen, Glenn Davis, Walker Garrett and Skip Henderson.
“We know it’s not perfect,” Carter said. But if people have to be told not to treat pets this way, and face penalties of law for doing so, perfect isn’t possible.
Miller time
One of the few subjects of bipartisan consensus, at least in Georgia: Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, a conservative or a liberal, you probably have at least once been impressed and gratified by something Zell Miller did or said, and at least once been infuriated and exasperated by something Zell Miller did or said.
Hence the politically diverse turnout for Miller’s 85th birthday celebration Tuesday night at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, an event which also dedicated the new Zell Miller Institute for Public Policy.
Miller, whose recovery from shingles made him unable to attend, was feted by an array of public figures from Democratic strategist Paul Begala to Republican state House Speaker David Ralston, from Newt Gingrich and Johnny Isakson (whom Miller once defeated for governor), both Republicans, to Democrats Roy Barnes, Miller’s successor as governor, and Andrew Young, former U.N. Ambassador. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush offered recorded video salutations.
As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was Miller’s old friend Young who offered the summary tribute: “If the rest of the world can learn some of the lessons we learned from each other, I don’t think we would have to worry about the future.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Dog chain ordinance a no-brainer."