St. Clair County, Illinois

3-4-16 TETHERING DOG REGULATIONS.

The following regulations shall be applicable to owners and guardians of dogs in their care to-wit:

(A)  Animal Welfare. A dog that is outside for one (1) hour or more, whether fenced, kenneled, or tethered shall have proper food, water, and shelter. Owners and guardians shall be responsible for the welfare of their pets in severe heat, cold, rain, snow, ice, and wind.

(B)  No dog shall be tethered within fifty (50) feet of a school, daycare, or school bus stop.

(C)  No dog shall be tethered on any public easement, or public access to private property.

(D)  No dog shall be tethered on private property within ten (10) feet of public or neighboring property.

(E)  No dog shall be tethered on land without a dwelling or a vacant dwelling.

(F)  No dog shall be left inside a vacant dwelling.

(G)  No more than two (2) dogs may be tethered on one residential property.

(H)  No more than one (1) dog shall be attached to a tether.

(I)  A properly constructed fence, of a height and strength, that prevents the dog from jumping, climbing, or digging out, and running at large, is acceptable containment.

(J)  A properly constructed kennel, of a height and strength, that prevents the dog from jumping, climbing, or digging out, and running at large, is acceptable containment if the following conditions are met. The dimensions of the kennel shall be dictated by the size of the dog.  The kennel shall have a doghouse large enough for the dog to stand and turn around, with roof, four sides, and solid floor three (3) inches above the ground. The acceptable kennel size is one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet per dog of under fifty (50) pounds.

(K)  Tethering shall not be used as permanent means of containment for any companion pet.

(L)  Tethering shall be acceptable under the following conditions:

(1) Trolley or pulley types of tethering systems are recommended.

(2) Fixed point tethers shall be acceptable upon inspection and approval by Animal Control.

(3)  All tethers will be a minimum of fifteen (15) feet in length and no more than one-eighth (1/8) the dog’s weight.

(4) The tether shall have a swivel mechanism on both ends and attached to a properly fitting, non-metal, buckle type collar or a harness.

(5) No pinch or choke collars shall be allowed.

(6) No tether shall be directly attached to the dog.

(M)  No dog shall be tethered longer than ten (10) continuous hours or twelve (12) hours in any twenty-four (24) hour period.

(N)  Owners shall be responsible to maintain a clean and healthy environment on their property and provide medical treatment when needed.