§ 6-35. Supervision and confinement; tethering.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any dog or cat to confine or tether that animal outdoors during periods of extreme weather, such as periods of unusually cold or hot temperatures, or periods of poor air quality, or when a hurricane or tropical storm warning has been issued.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any dog or cat and who confines that dog or cat outdoors on private property to fail to provide the animal with:

(1)

Food and potable water; and

(2)

Adequate shelter, which shall mean ventilated protection for the animal from the elements that also provides room for each animal to stand erect, sit, lie down, and fully turn around; and

(3)

Periodic supervision, which shall mean that each animal is provided with fresh food and potable water and inspected for injury or poor health at least once during every twelve (12) consecutive hours; and

(4)

Adequate space for exercise, which shall mean no less than one hundred fifty (150) square feet per animal; and

(5)

A fenced yard, an electronic fence, or an enclosure, that is sufficient to prevent the dog from escaping; and

(6)

A tether, which may be employed subject to the following regulations:

a.

It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any dog that is under the age of six (6) months to tie, chain, or otherwise tether a dog that is under the age of six (6) months outdoors. It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any cat to tie, chain, or otherwise tether a cat outdoors.

b.

It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any dog that is over the age of six (6) months to tie, chain, or otherwise tether a dog outdoors between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. except that a dog of any age may be temporarily tethered, tied, or chained outdoors for a total time period not exceeding fifteen (15) minutes. At other times, it is permitted to tie, chain, or otherwise tether a dog that is over the age of six (6) months outdoors if the dog is harnessed by a properly-fitting, body harness that is fastened to either:

1.

A tether that is at least ten (10) feet long and that is free from entanglement and that allows the dog to move unheeded; or

2.

An overhead run, which is an overhead wire at least ten (10) feet long to which the dog's body harness is attached by a leash or chain, that allows the dog to move unheeded.

(c)

Nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to prohibit an owner or a keeper from controlling a dog or a cat by the hand-held use of a rope, leash, body harness or chain.

( Ord. No. C-06-07, § 1, 6-6-06 )