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Council adopts animal ordinance amendments but removes 6-foot leash mandate after debate
Summary
Following extensive public comment and council debate, the city adopted amended animal-control rules aligning with state law but removed a universal 6-foot leash requirement and exempted enclosed public dog parks from leash prohibitions.
The Mebane City Council adopted amendments to the city's animal code to better align with state law and to strengthen penalties for dangerous-dog incidents, but members removed a proposed universal 6-foot-leash requirement after public objections and legal enforcement concerns.
Police staff presented the draft ordinance changes and said the revisions clarified definitions of "potentially dangerous" and "dangerous" dogs consistent with cited state statute language discussed in the hearing. The draft originally included a specific maximum leash length of six feet for public areas. Staff noted additional training and staffing realignments to support enforcement.
Public commenters, including Larissa Chiwako and others, criticized a flat 6-foot requirement as impractical and hard to enforce; one resident called the proposal "overkill" and questioned whether police would be expected to measure leash lengths on sidewalks. Council members also raised questions about enforceability and whether the district attorneys would prosecute leash-length violations as stand-alone offenses.
After discussion, Council Member (transcript label S21) moved to adopt the ordinance with two changes: remove the strict 6-foot leash requirement, and allow unleashed dogs in enclosed, public fenced dog parks. The motion passed by voice vote.
Chief and staff said the ordinance retains tools to designate and manage dangerous dogs, added penalties and clarified enforcement responsibilities; they also proposed excluding enclosed dog parks from the leash requirement to avoid unintended consequences for those facilities.
What's next: the ordinance language will be incorporated into the city code; staff said they will continue to coordinate training with county partners and update enforcement guidance to reflect the adopted changes.
