A new bipartisan push at the state legislature is intended to protect pets from extreme weather.
As temperatures climb across North Carolina, lawmakers are advancing Duke’s Rescue Act. The bipartisan bill would establish the state's first uniform standards for pet care—banning owners from leaving dogs tethered outside in temperatures above eighty-five degrees, below freezing, or during severe storms.
The bill is named after a dog rescued from a severe chaining situation in Bertie County. Bill sponsor Representative Stephen Ross says the measure gives animal control officers the legal teeth they need to step in before neglect turns fatal.
The bill faces some pushback from hunting groups and the state Veterinary Medical Association over its broader impacts. However, advocates say a statewide baseline is desperately needed to fix North Carolina's patchwork of local animal laws.
