Hernando County, Florida

Sec. 6-34. – Regulation of Tethering.

In order to protect the public safety and welfare, the following conditions shall apply when tethering a dog or cat:

(1) No person, to include owner, harborer, or caretaker shall tether a dog or cat to a stationary or inanimate object as a means of confinement or restraint unless such person is with the dog or cat and the dog or cat is at all times visible to such person.

(2) The tether must be constructed of material sufficient to restrain the dog or cat but may not place the dog or cat in danger of injury or death. At no time shall the tether extend over an object or edge in such a manner that could result in strangulation, entanglement of or injury to the dog or cat. Logging chains and vehicle tow chains may not be used to tether a dog or cat. The addition of weight to a dog’s or cat’s collar, harness, chain, or tether is prohibited.

(3) The tether shall be of a length and weight to allow a dog or cat to move at least ten (10) feet in all directions from the point of tethering and allow entry and egress to proper shelter and enclosure as defined herein. No person shall keep a dog or cat in any enclosure without daily exercise and change of air.

(4) The tether shall be attached to a properly fitted buckle-style collar or buckle-style harness sufficient to restrain the dog or cat. The tether must have an operative swivel attached to a collar or harness and may not be attached to a stationary object at a height higher than the dog’s or cat’s neck in standing position. The tether must swivel on both ends and be free of tangles. A leash or lead may not be attached directly to the dog’s or cat’s neck in lieu of a manufactured collar or harness. Choke, chain, slip, or prong-type collars shall not be used on a dog or cat when such dog or cat is tethered.

(5) The dog or cat must have access to sufficient wholesome food and a continuous supply of clean, potable water, and freedom to move about and avoid area of dog’s or cat’s waste, parasites, or anything that would adversely harm a dog’s or a cat’s health or safety.

(6) The tethered dog or cat must be at least six (6) months of age and may not be sick or injured.

(7) The dog or cat may not be outside during extreme weather conditions, including, but not limited to, extreme heat or near-freezing temperatures or during thunderstorms, lightning storms, tornado watches or warnings, or during tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings.

(8) No tether may extend any closer than six (6) feet from the perimeter fence or lot line. If it is connected to a pulley, the running line must be at least fifteen (15) feet in length and less than seven (7) feet above the ground. If multiple dogs or cats, they must be tethered separately with no sharing of running lines, or near enough to each other that they may become tangled. No dog or cat shall be tethered so that it has access to public property, including easements, and rights-of-way property, or the property of another.

(9) When the dog or cat is transported in a pickup truck with a metal bed, the dog or cat shall be provided protection from the metal bed; and the dog shall be safely and properly tethered as defined herein. Any cat being transported must be in a hard-shelled crate specifically designed for cats and the crate must be secured to the truck bed so that it does not move during transporting.

(10) Tethering and/or inappropriately sheltering a dog or cat in violation of the provisions of this section shall be unlawful. When a violation of this section occurs, an officer may take reasonable measures to remove the dog or cat from the tether and/or inappropriate shelter and impound the dog or cat.

(11) “Inadequate shelter” may be indicated by the appearance of the shelter itself, including, but not limited to, size, structural soundness, evidence of crowding within the housing facility, unhealthy environment in the area immediately surrounding such facility, or by the appearance or physical condition of the dog or the cat.

(12) Upon enactment of this section, officers shall provide a warning to all first-time tethering and/or sheltering violators and allow five (5) working days to correct the violation before any civil citation is issued. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing shall prevent an officer from citing an owner for violation of any other provision of this section, including other prohibited acts of cruelty or neglect.

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(14) No dog or cat shall be tethered on vacant or abandoned property.