Kingsville is following in the footsteps of several other local municipalities limiting the number of hours a dog can be tethered outdoors.
The town is joining Windsor, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh in changing the tethering limit from 12-hours to four.
Windsor-Essex County Humane Society Executive Director Melanie Coulter is calling it a win.
She says complaints come in frequently for dogs kept outside too long.
"This is an issue where we regularly receive concerns from across Windsor and Essex County. We receive calls year round and we do respond to those. The nice thing is this is a bylaw that can be enforced by animal control or the police or by the humane society."
Coulter says enforcing a 12-hour limit can be a challenge.
"When you've got a 12-hour limit it means that proving that a dog has been outside for that long on a tether can be a challenge. You have to prove it to a standard that's going to stand up in court. The four hour limit is much more doable and we also believe that it's something that residents and the community really want to see."
Windsor-Essex County Humane Society Executive Director Melanie Coulter discusses dog tethering at a Kingsville Council meeting November 26, 2018 (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
She says, bylaw or not, residents are always encouraged to make a call if they see something out of the ordinary.
"The old 'if you see something, say something' is really important in animal welfare because, like children, animals can't easily pick up the phone and say, "Can you please come and help me?" and a neighbour who makes that call can sometimes really make a difference in an animal's life."
Residents caught leaving their dog tied up outside for more than four hours in a 24-hour period can be fined $200 with chronic offenders often losing their animal.
The new bylaw goes into effect immediately.