New Richmond Village Council has passed legislation prohibiting the tethering of animals (dogs or cats) to any object, stationary or otherwise, within the village limits.

The new law, unanimously passed by New Richmond Village Council Dec. 11, was spearheaded by village resident Perla Kinne after she noticed that the chaining of animals was a prevalent problem in the New Richmond area.

“There are a lot of people that leave their dogs chained up and just always left outside,” she said. “These animals are becoming a forgotten fixture in village yards. I saw the problem, and because I love dogs so much, did some research to find out how other communities across the country have addressed the issue.”

Completing that extensive research, in which Kinne discovered that there are four states with anti-tethering laws (and three communities in Ohio) in place, she approached the New Richmond village council over the summer, convinced council members of the problem and the need for legislation, and was solely responsible for the passage of the new anti-tethering law.