CAIRO — The Grady County Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the county Code of Ordinances Tuesday which will classify dog tethering as a form of animal abuse.

The new ordinance will disallow tethering, fastening, chaining, tying or otherwise restraining dogs for longer than one hour.

Exceptions are made if the dog is attached to a running line, pulley or trolley system by means other than a choke or pinch collar.

Tethers restraining the dog, such as chains, ropes and cables, must be at least 10 feet long from the anchor point.

County Administrator Buddy Johnson said first-time violators of the new rule will face a warning and that repeat offenders are likely to be fined an undetermined sum of money.

“We’re not really going to hammer people,” Johnson said. “We’re going to go down and say you need to get your dog off of this, here’s a warning. If that doesn’t work then, at least we’ve got something with teeth in it to come back and say we’re going to fine you for cruelty.”

A 30-day waiting period will take place before the ordinance goes into effect, during which Johnson said he will consult with animal control officials and other government offices to determine what kind of consequences will face repeat violators.

“We’ll have to discuss what will be the punishment (and) how will we go about it,” Johnson said. “Will it be something where they have to appear before a magistrate and he sets a fine? It can go a lot of different ways.”

Part of the rationale for amending the ordinance comes from research gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and provided by Animal Law Source.

The research states that chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs.

“Chains catch on obstacles, which can be dangerous, and can cause dogs to be unable to reach their food, water, or shelter,” said Claudine Wilkins and Jessica Rock, founders of Animal Law Source. “The continuous chaining or tethering of a dog is a key contributor to poor socialization, as dogs subjected to excessive chaining tend to bark excessively and often suffer great psychological damage, which can make them anxious or aggressive.”

Grady County does not currently have a dog tethering ordinance.

Johnson said he spoke with neighboring counties to determine what kinds of laws they have in place for the same offense before drafting the amendment.

Commissioner Keith Moye motioned to approve the amendment, seconded by Commissioner Phillip Drew. The council then unanimously approved the motion.