The committee appointed by Great Bend Mayor Mike Allison to sharpen vicious dogs regulations voted Wednesday night to add tethering restrictions to the list of recommendations it will forward to the City Council.
Of the nine members: Seven supported the idea of a new ordinance that would place time and other restrictions on tieing dogs outdoors; one, Police Chief Dean Akings, favored a total ban saying it would be easier to enforce; and one, pit bull owner Reggie Kern who tethers his dogs regularly, opposed any ban, noting existing laws should be utilized. This marked the final meeting of the panel, which has met several times over the past two months.
Committee Chairman and City Attorney Bob Suelter said it is unlikely the matter will be on the council agenda for the next meeting Aug. 19. The issue probably won’t be addressed until September.
 After meeting two weeks ago and coming to a consensus of a list of suggestions, tethering remained the only sticking point, one that caused lively discussion Wednesday.
“I don’t think everyone is tethering right,” Kern said. He brought with him the vehicle axles he uses as posts, and the steel chain and steel cable he uses to secure his dogs.
“I do believe there should be some regulation,” he said. But, the existing vicious dog ordinance already has language to that effect, it just has to be enforced.
He said tethering bans elsewhere have backfired. They resulted in more dogs being let loose.
And, the dogs are his property and he likened them to his guns. “Don’t take away my right to properly house my dogs.”
His dogs have not suffered any ill effects from his treatment, he said. Besides, the cost of proper fencing would be cost prohibitive.
“I almost feel like were failing here,” by getting hung up on the tethering issue, Kern said. “We’re getting away from the real problem.”
A complaint before the council in May from Great Bend residents George and Zola Weber who feared their neighbor’s pit bulls threatened their children sparked the discussion of banning pit bulls or other ways of curbing aggressive dogs. The council decided the formation of the committee shortly thereafter and it has met several times since.
“You do a wonderful job with what you do, but you can’t do it for everyone,” said council and committee member Edwin Roberts. “Those kind of people are still going to violate the law.”
This is a community-wide safety problem, he said. If it means stricter adherence to the three-day waiting period at the Golden Belt Humane Society in terms of finding homes for dogs or disposing of them, then so be it.
There were questions about how to enforce any new regulations. Humane Society Director Bobbi King said she is working a network of volunteers that might be able to help.
Still, there would be difficulties. “It would be on a complaint basis,” Akings said. “We have enough trouble taking care of people problems.”
Other recommendations to be forwarded to the council include:
• A new ordinance making it illegal for a child to tease a dog. There was tepid support for this with fears in would be unenforceable.
• Adding temperament testing requirement as an option for the municipal judge when a vicious dog and its owner are before the court.
• Increasing vicious dog offenses to class A misdemeanors with a maximum fine of $2,500 and one year in jail, or both.
• Stepped up patrols by the Humane Society. This was aimed at addressing the stray dog problem, which the committee divided into two parts – dogs at large (those that run away from home) and feral dogs that roam the streets. Higher fines for picking up an animal from the shelter may also be considered.
As a side note to this, King said in June, the society brought in 23 dogs, of which only four were retrieved by the owners. They are only required to hold a dog for three days before they attempt to adopt it, transfer it to another shelter or put it down.
• Encouraging proactive reporting from residents to prevent dangerous vicious dog incidents. The city would encourage people to call if they feel threatened, and the society would visit with them and the pet owner before things get out of control.
• Mandating spaying or neutering as a permit requirement. There could be exceptions for licensed breeders and owners of show dogs.
Others on the committee include: Zola Weber, RaShann Southard as an at-large member of the committee; Joel Jackson as City Council representative; and Seth Orebaugh as a  Golden Belt Humane Society representative. 
It was at the last meeting that it was decided not to pursue a total any breed-specific.