MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The City of Myrtle Beach officially has made it illegal to tether animals under many conditions.
Myrtle Beach council passed the final reading on Tuesday of additions to the city’s mistreatment of animals ordinance.
This change regulates how long an animal could be tethered, what material the tether is made up of, and would forbid tethering when an animal is sick or hurt, among many other restrictions.
In Myrtle Beach, it’s already illegal to leave pets outside during extreme weather events and to confine them in a car without air ventilation when its hotter than 70 degrees.
Myrtle Beach police animal control officers warn tethering an animal can have a lot of negative consequences on your pet’s life.
“It’s not a humane, primary way of enclosing an animal, so it decreases many things like natural behaviors,” said Steven Trott, animal control officer with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
“The animal is abused on the chain,” said Troll. “It doesn’t have socialization, which makes it aggressive, too, so it’s a way to combat the mistreatment of the animal, plus it allows the animal to receive proper socialization.”
The new changes to the ordinance also require impounded dogs and cats to be neutered or spayed within 30 days.
