Vinton, Virginia

Sec. 10-5. – Responsible animal care.    

(b) It shall be unlawful for any owner or harborer of a companion animal to tether the animal: (1) More than three cumulative hours during the day between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; (2) At any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; (3) At any time if the animal is sick, injured, or in heat; (4) At any time if the animal is four months of age or younger.

For the purposes of this section, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that an animal has been tethered for more than three cumulative hours, if the law enforcement officer witnesses the tethering once an hour for at least five minutes per hour for three consecutive hours.