Surrey has passed a bylaw outlawing the tethering of dogs for long periods of time.
On Tuesday, Surrey council gave early approval to the bylaw, which prohibits the tying of dogs for more than four hours in total on any given day.
While it's unclear how city bylaw officers are going to clock how long a dog has been tethered, Coun. Barinder Rasode said the important part of the bylaw is the message it will send to people who might mistreat their animals.
"What I think is really important here, is us moving forward with this bylaw is a real indication that treating dogs humanely is a priority for the City of Surrey," Rasode said. "Enforcement will be a bit of a challenge… the challenge will be how do you determine whether that was four hours."
South Surrey animal rights activist Janet Olson said the city's coming up short on the legislation.
"This unenforceable legislation seems perfectly designed to try to appease frustrated animal lovers while at the same time doing nothing to alienate chained dog owners. It is all appearance without any substance." Olson said.