Should it be illegal to keep dogs chained?

It's dogs like Gus -- and their potential victims -- the Metropolitan King County Council had in mind when it took the first step Monday toward a possible prohibition on chaining dogs or holding them in small enclosures for long periods.

Gus, a 4-year-old German shepherd mix who was chained to his doghouse every day, was euthanized in 2005 after two attacks on people.

Prime sponsor Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, said her effort to ban chaining was prompted in large part by two pit bulls' vicious attack on 71-year-old Huong Le outside her SeaTac home last month.

Although those dogs hadn't been chained, Patterson said that dogs chained for hours each day are more likely to attack people or dogs. Banning certain types of confinement, she said, "is not only a good idea for the animals' well-being, it's also a good idea for public health, welfare and safety."

The council took a preliminary vote, 8-0, Monday to direct County Executive Ron Sims to report by Feb. 28 on the feasibility and advisability of banning "continuous confinement" of dogs on chains or tethers or in small spaces. The motion may go before the council for a final vote next Monday.

The report would consider a ban in unincorporated King County and possibly also in cities that contract with the county for animal-control services.

Council Chairwoman Patterson said she also is considering legislation that would define "dangerous dogs," perhaps restricting certain breeds.

Leslie Kentor, one of several people who spoke in favor of a ban on chaining dogs, told council members the story of Gus. She adopted Gus from his Eastside owners after he broke loose from the doghouse he was chained to and bit a boy who had taunted him.

"They were not bad people," Kentor said of the owners. "They didn't know any better."

For weeks she took Gus to a trainer. On his last visit, the dog attacked the trainer and bit her in the abdomen.

Kentor reluctantly had the dog euthanized. "Gus very well could have killed a child," she told the council. "That's why I'm urging you to try to lead the way in our state so we won't have animals going through what Gus went through."

The Humane Society of the United States contends that tethering is inhumane and can lead dogs to become aggressive.

Julie Russell, of Families Against Breed Bans, said an analysis of 33 fatal dog attacks on people in the United States in 2007 showed that 10 were committed by dogs that had been tethered and 26 by dogs that hadn't been spayed or neutered.

Russell said her organization will propose to the County Council that the group send a volunteer to homes where a dog is chained up, to educate the owners on the dangers of the practice.

Councilmember Larry Gossett, D-Seattle, noting that some of his neighbors chain their dog during the day but also walk the dog twice a day, asked if that confinement would become illegal.

Legislative analyst Marilyn Cope said that depends on what, if any, legislation might be adopted after study by Sims' staff. She noted that the council on Monday referred to "continuous" chaining, and that some cities have specified the number of hours a dog can be chained.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com