Gaffney residents must build kennel for each dog

GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) — Gaffney officials are requiring dog owners to build a 6-foot-high kennel for each dog they keep outside.

WSPA-TV reported (http://bit.ly/ocXIau ) that Gaffney City Council unanimously approved a local law Tuesday that requires any owner of three or more dogs kept outside to keep each in a kennel.

City administrator James Taylor says the ordinance addresses neighbor complaints about dogs running loose, excessive noise, odor and concerns about tethering animals with chains or rope.

The law requires a wire link fence around at least 100 square feet of concrete floor or similar surface, and a shelter, cleaned daily.

Dog owners complain the requirements are expensive and put an undue financial burden on low-income residents.

Animal control officer Dwayne Fowler says the law will affect about 20 percent of the city’s residents.

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Information from: WSPA-TV, http://www.wspa.com