The City of Alexandria has decided not to adopt an amendment that would have changed its leash laws.
The amendment would have made it illegal to use an electronic collar as the sole means of restraining a dog.
The about-face comes after members of the Alexandria City Council received a wave of letters and emails about the change.
Many argued that pet owners have invested a lot of time and money to train dogs on electric collars. Some business owners even argued that it would hurt business. One dog trainer, for example, said she would be unable to include "off-leash" training as part of her dog obedience training classes.
Initially, the amendment was added because of several instances where electric collars failed to prevent dogs from running into roadways, or chasing other animals, especially in Old Town.
The council now says it will look at new ways to amend the leash laws to address this issue.
