BENTON, Ark. — Benton is fighting for its community's pets by working to outlaw chaining of dogs.
“I hope to get their lives back,” said Terry Parsons, Benton Animal Control manager. "I want to stop it. If he's locked in on a chain, he doesn't have a life."
But residents like Terre Farley don’t see a problem with it.
"I think it's ridiculous myself,” said Farley. ‘They are outside dogs, I can't afford a chain linked fence."
She's kept her dogs chained in her front yard for years.
"They get plenty of exercise out there, so I don't see the problem.”
In the past several years, animal control officers have seen a different side.
Parsons said his department has seen an intake-increase of aggressive and injured dogs that were chained up.
He said they experience a lack of social opportunity and make dangerous attempts to escape.
“When we pick those injured dogs up, they’ve broke the chain or the owners have cut them loose and let them go because they are injured,” said Parsons. “Then they end up at the vet. I’m ready for them to have a better quality of life.”
Parsons is working hand in hand with the city to repeal part of city ordinance 34-2013.
The change would require pet owners like Farley to house their dogs inside or behind a fence and keep them from being chained to any stationary item.
"What are we going to do with our dogs,” she said. "We've grown attached to them, they are our babies."
If the proposed plan is past, Parsons said he will work with pet owners on the matter.
“We’ll give them a 120 day window to get in compliance instead of passing it one day and out enforcing it the next day,” said Parsons. “That wouldn’t be fair to the public. Some of them may end up surrendering them to the city, if they do that, we will take them in and find them a good home.”
The Benton Animal Control Committee has to pass the proposed plan first, then it will be in the city council’s hands.
Parsons said residents who choose not to comply, they could face a minimum of a $250 fine.
The city should decide on the issue in June.