By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

LIBERTY — A Pickens County meeting drew a passionate crowd of dog owners and animal advocates who wanted to learn more about legislation in the S.C. General Assembly that seeks to

Rep. Davey Hiott

restrict tethering of dogs statewide.

Rep. Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, hosted a town hall meeting last Thursday night about Senate Bill 841.

“It’s sitting now in the House Agriculture Committee, which I chair,” Hiott said.

The portions of the bill related to tethering do not ban tethering, but would make it a misdemeanor offense to “cruelly” tether a dog

“Cruel” tethers would be those that cause injury or illness to the animal, those that are heavier than one-eighth of the dog’s weight, those that are too short to allow an unattended dog to move around or move away from its own urine or feces, and those that do not permit the dog access to adequate food, water, shade or shelter.

Reading from the bill, Hiott said “A dog tethered unattended for more than 60 minutes — one

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