A countywide ban on the continuous chaining or tethering of dogs has been proposed by a Metropolitan King County Council member.

Such a law would improve public safety because dogs are nearly three times more likely to bite when restrained for long periods, according to Councilwoman Julia Patterson.

Patterson has formally called for a study of the costs and other issues of enforcing the ban in unincorporated areas of the county and in suburban cities that contract with the county for animal control services. Those cities include Covington, Maple Valley and Black Diamond.

The Sheriff Department, the prosecuting attorney, the union for county animal control officers, and the National Animal Control Association would be consulted in the study. Citizens also would have input, Patterson said.

In addition to making dogs more likely to bite people or other animals, continuous chaining or tethering “has been called inhumane by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said Patterson. “For the purposes of public safety and the prevention of animal cruelty, I want to determine if a ban on continuous chaining is practical and enforceable.”

According to the American Veterinary Association, dogs that are continuously confined by chain or tether may exhibit aggressive behavior toward humans and other animals.

“Dogs are social pack animals, and forced isolation can make them aggressive and even vicious,” said Councilman Dow Constantine, who supports Patterson’s planl. “We already have laws in King County governing dogs whose behavior makes them a nuisance or a threat. A ban on continuous chaining would address a cause of this behavior.”

Patterson’s proposal is under review by a council committee.