Tethering dogs might be the most controversial issue York County officials have dealt with recently, but they say it's just one question among many that they must answer about animal care.
"It's been a while since we updated the leash laws and things like that," said County Council Chairman Buddy Motz. "Or even looked at them, for that matter."
That's about to change.
In the coming weeks, the county plans to hold a workshop where staff members will outline plans for updating the county's animal policies, which they say are outdated because of the county's explosive growth.
No specific changes have been recommended, but officials expect to analyze everything from vaccination requirements to animal control fees.
And, yes, they also plan to look at a tethering policy. But even that issue isn't as simple as whether a dog should be chained in someone's backyard. Officials could permit tethering with time limits or restrict the number of dogs a resident can own.
There's a lot to think about, York County manager Jim Baker said.
"What are the things that we think are abuses that need to be addressed, and then how do we address those abuses so we can enforce (laws) with as few limitations as we need other than to protect the animals?" he asked.
Although leaders have discussed the need for updated animal laws before, a recent case has drawn cries for change from local animal rights groups.
In July, county authorities seized 13 pit bulls from a Rock Hill home. They found a dozen dogs that lacked adequate shelter and were restrained by logging chains. Some of the animals didn't have access to water, and none of the dogs had tags indicating they'd received rabies shots.
A veterinarian later found that most of the dogs had scarring and other injuries consistent with dog-fighting, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report.
But investigators were unable to determine whether the dogs had been involved in arranged fights.
A judge allowed the dogs' owner, Richard Leach, to get his animals back if he met several conditions, including building houses for the dogs.
Leach's dogs were returned to him last week. Authorities said he met most of the requirements, although his dogs were not spayed or neutered, which was part of the original agreement.
Leach's case drew the ire of local animal rights groups, and several of them asked the county to outlaw chaining dogs. But at last month's County Council meeting, people from pro-tethering groups asked the county not to adopt such a policy.
Baker said he hopes county officials can find some "good common ground" that both sides can respect, though he knows everyone won't be completely satisfied.
Leaders plan to look at what other growing counties have done, while trying to gauge their future needs.
"We're getting a lot more animal calls now," Motz said. "And we're having a lot more issues, just like with the pit bulls and things like that. That has never happened before."
