News 12 First at Five/ Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Starting Sunday there are some new rules to follow for dog owners in Richmond County.

Alex Baker and Angus are out at the dog park at least once a week. It's where he heard about the new rules for dog owners in Augusta. One big new rule is if you live in Augusta, you have to register your pet with the city. You can do this online or at Animal Services. It's free if they are fixed but ten bucks a year if not.

"Definitely it will be good for people to be aware of what they're pets are doing and not just kind of letting them fend for themselves," Baker said.

Now, picking up after your pet is not an option.

"Hopefully it will encourage people to pick up after their dogs out in public areas," he said.

Next week, it's a misdemeanor if you don't scoop up. The rest of the new rules are misdemeanors too including new barking laws. You can't let your dog bark outside longer than 10 minutes from 9 at night until 7 in the morning. They can only bark for twenty minutes from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.

The no-tethering rules will also be enforced. This new rule means you can not have your dog tethered outside if you're not out there with it or it's not in your line of sight.

"I definitely agree with the tethering rules. Some of the other nuisance and barking rules are kind of interesting but they're probably for the good of the community," he said.

In Georgia, misdemeanors can mean up to a one thousand dollar fine or up to twelve months in jail. But it's up to a judge to decide based on the severity.

"I feel like there are some good rules being put out there for the good of the community and for the good of the animals in the city," Baker said.

Something else to keep in mind, now Animal Control is going to handle the nuisance calls like barking, not the sheriff's office.