Fayette County animal control officials are looking into the possibility of adopting regulations on the tethering of dogs outdoors.

Animal Control Director Miguel abi-Hassan said.

The data was culled after reviewing each “check condition” case individually, abi-Hassan said. In some of the cases, the animal control officer may not have witnessed the tethering and as such it would not have been noted in the case file, he added.

It is not immediately known how many of the 70-75 cases led to animal cruelty charges, but that can be determined, abi-Hassan said.

Several citizen complaints were received recently about animals tethered out in the recent snow, he added. If the animal’s collar were embedded in their neck, a cruelty citation could be issued, he said.

But if there was no “unjustifiable pain and suffering ... we would have to walk away,” abi-Hassan said.

“We would advise, we would suggest, we would say what brought us on the property and say we may come again if we get another call,” he added.

Abi-Hassan said the county makes between three and seven misdemeanor animal cruelty cases a month. Felony cases happen once every month or two, he added.

“Primarily we are an education agency,” abi-Hassan said, noting that most of the cases it files have to do with leash law violations.

Abi-Hassan said under the current animal cruelty laws, a person can be charged with a misdemeanor for allowing “unjustifiable pain and suffering” and a felony for “dismemberment or death.”

Abi-Hassan noted a study by the Centers for Disease Control that concluded a dog that is tethered to a stake is 2.8 times more likely to attack than others.

Should the county adopt a tethering ordinance, abi-Hassan said he would prefer having some time afterwards as an educational period for citizens.

“Some of the photos emailed to us no reasonable person could agree that’s not an abusive situation where the collar cuts into the animal’s neck,” Commissioner Eric Maxwell said.

The county does have a leash law and in the process of enforcing that has seen several cases in which a tethered dog was attacked by another dog because it could not get away, abi-Hassan said.

One reason to address tethering is because it “allows for minimum care just underneath the cruelty statute,” abi-Hassan said. Some animals tethered for a long time can also be neglected emotionally as owners may not tend to the animal’s social needs, abi-Hassan said.

Tethering can also lead to strangulation of the animal, abi-Hassan noted.

The ordinance will have to take into account the needs of dog trainers, breeders, rescue services and others, he added. That includes dog owners with special needs also, he noted.

Abi-Hassan also noted that tethering is the least expensive way to secure an animal outdoors and so the county should consider that as well, given the economy.

“I’m well aware there are people having trouble paying their mortgage and we certainly don’t want to go out there and enforce upon them to get a fence,” abi-Hassan said.

As far as the type of restrictions, some model ordinances limit tethering to certain times of day or certain weather conditions, abi-Hassan said. Others address the weight of the chain or require “trolley” systems in which a dog would have much more mobility. Even other ordinances address the size of pens for dogs.