The York County SPCA has received many complaints about dogs like the one above being tethered outside. The organization is working to pass an ordinance banning the practice in every municipality in the county. (Submitted)

Dogged West York residents have convinced borough council members to reconsider an ordinance that would make it illegal to tether dogs that live their entire lives outdoors, a borough official said.

"The residents want this," council member Shelley Metzler said. She is also the borough's dog enforcement officer.

West Yorkers packed Monday night's borough council meeting to show their support of the proposed ordinance, Metzler said.

It would require owners of "24-7 outside dogs" to either build kennels or fences, or take their dogs inside regularly, according to Melissa Smith, executive director of the York County SPCA.

It also would require residents to bring in their dogs during severe weather conditions. Continuously tethered dogs suffer a life of isolation and misery and are twice as likely to bite humans, according to Smith.

In early February, the York County SPCA sent out packets to every municipality in the county, asking them to consider adopting a tethering-restriction ordinance. Enclosed in each packet was a proposed ordinance crafted by the SPCA and the Humane Society of the United States.

The West York borough council narrowly voted down the proposed ordinance on April 2, but on Monday night voted 4-3 in favor of re-advertising it, according to Metzler.

She said she expects the council to vote on the ordinance at its Sept. 10 meeting.

Some municipalities have already passed the ordinance, making York County the first in the state to have a tethering-restriction law on the books. Those municipalities are Springettsbury, York and Spring Garden townships, and Mount Wolf.