CHAPEL HILL - The Orange County commissioners put off a vote on new rules for tying up dogs after nearly 90 minutes of testimony from people on both sides of the issue Tuesday night.

Each side wore stickers: the words "Dog Chaining" in a circle with an X through it for the supporters of the rules, the words "No Tethering Ordinance" for the opponents.

By the time the public hearing was over, 27 people had spoken, some who signed up had gone home due to the late hour, and the commissioners were in the hot seat.

The county's tethering committee has met six times since 2007, after some Orange residents asked for rules to restrict the chaining or tying up of dogs. Chaining dogs leads to anti-social behavior and unwanted puppies and can be cruel, they said.

Opponents, including several dog breeders and hunters who spoke Tuesday, said the real issue is neglect, not how how dogs are contained. They said their dogs thrive tied up outdoors where they get exercise.

Michael Kirk asked the commissioners which was more cruel -- an owner sticking a dog in a cage when he goes to work in RTP, or someone putting a dog on a tether where it can run around all day "happy as a lark."

The new rules would limit tethering to three hours in a 24-hour period, require minimum 10-foot tethers with a swivel at each end, and minimum outdoor pen sizes.

There would be an exemption for hunting dogs to would allow owners to tether them for up to seven days during an event.

But George Painter, president of the Eno River Coon Hunters Association, said he had been told sportsmen would be totally exempt from the new rules. The county's animal control services director, Bob Marotto, said an early draft did propose that exemption.

"This is a people problem, not a dog problem," Painter said. "An animal that is neglected by people will be neglected whether it's in a kennel, on a chain or in a house."

"There's already plenty of laws on the books which, if they were enforced the way they should be, would more than take care of the problem," said Painter, who spoke with Marotto after the meeting to express his frustration.

Other speakers concurred that abuse can happen anywhere. Still, they said, having new rules on the books will give county animal control officers additional tools.

The county proposal would not take full effect for 18 months. There would be a year of education, followed by six months in which officers would only issue warnings before full enforcement in July 2010.

"I agree it's a people problem," said Amanda Arrington, director of the citizens group the Coalition to Unchain Dogs. "But sometimes you must legislate to educate those people."

The coalition has built fences for 85 dogs whose owners could not afford to build them. Several of the dog owners said their pets changed instantly, turning from listless or hard to control animals to happy family pets that could eat their meals indoors or sleep in their masters' bedrooms for the first time.

Pat Sanford, a former director of the Animal Protection Society of Orange County, said she regularly investigated cruelty cases where she found dogs tied up without food and water. Yet when asked to surrender the dogs, owners would sometimes say they could never give up their dogs because they loved them too much, Sanford said.

Some speakers spoke in even more dramatic terms.

One supporter compared the fight against dog chaining to battles against slavery. One opponent, a lobbyist for a sporting association, surprised some by flatly stating animals do not have rights.

With the clock nearing 11 p.m., Commissioner Mike Nelson said the board needed time to reflect on the passionate testimony. The commissioners agreed to discuss the issue June 3. The public will have a chance to speak at the meeting.

Read more about the tethering ordinance at tethering ordinance.