LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A push is underway to overhaul Lowndes County’s dog tethering ordinance. Two neighboring South Georgia counties have already acted.

“The ordinance as it is currently written is unenforceable,” Dr. Amanda Hall-Phillips, an Animal Behavior Veterinarian, said.

Dr. Hall-Phillips is a veterinarian who specializes in pets suffering from behavioral problems. Along with concerned residents, she is calling on the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners to replace the county’s decade-old tethering ordinance with a stronger, more enforceable version.

The current ordinance states that tethering is not allowed in freezing conditions or when there is lightning, tornadoes, tropical storms, thunderstorms or hurricanes.

“And they’re not going around and citing those people because their dogs are still tethered. And also, it says that dogs are not to be tethered for any duration likely to cause any physical or mental suffering,” Hall-Phillips said.

The push for stronger protections is not new to South Georgia. In 2024, Brooks County overhauled its animal ordinances after a deadly dog attack killed a 35-year-old mother.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Brooks Co. residents call for accountability after deadly dog attack, leaders review ordinance <<

Tift County also passed updated tethering ordinances requiring a dog owner to be physically present and in eyesight of the dog any time it is on a tether. That is the standard proposed for Lowndes County to now adopt.

“Dogs are social animals. Dogs have evolved, and we have bred them to be very social towards people,” Hall-Phillips said. “And whenever you isolate a dog to a tether 24-7, very little human contact, that dog is mentally suffering.”

She said the behavioral consequences go beyond suffering—tethered dogs are three times more likely to become aggressive, posing a risk to children and neighbors.

WALB asked Lowndes County administrators if they were considering these proposed changes. Officials responded with the following statement:

“Lowndes County is currently undergoing a routine review of the county’s animal services ordinance. A section of the current ordinance addresses tethering. Now, pet owners may tether their dogs outdoors on a “run type” cable system. Challenges arise regarding pet care and quality of life when dogs are permanently left outdoors on tethers. As a result, Lowndes County is evaluating options related to either eliminating the option to tether or to put additional restrictions on tethering so that dogs in our community are not abandoned outdoors by being left on tethers for days, weeks, or months on end.”

In addition to the ordinance change, Dr. Hall-Phillips says the county should establish a way for residents to report violations without fear of retaliation.

“I would love for the county to put up some sort of hotline where people can call and remain anonymous, because it is a real problem. People are really resistant to report their neighbors because they have to live next to them, and they are fearful of what they may do to them,” Hall-Phillips said.

This is a developing story. WALB will continue to investigate, and we will provide updates as we learn more.

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