Iowa City, Iowa

8-4-6: PROHIBITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.

J.   Tethering: Tethering means fastening an animal to a fixed object so as to limit its range of movement using a rope, chain, or similar device.

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a. No person shall allow an animal to be tethered and unattended with a rope, chain, or similar device that is less than ten feet (10′) in length. An animal is unattended if the animal is more than fifty feet (50′) from the person and the  animal is not in the person’s line of sight.

b.   No person shall allow an animal to be tethered and unattended for more than thirty (30) minutes continuously in any given 3-hour period. An animal is unattended if the animal is more than fifty feet (50′) from the person and the animal is not in the person’s line of sight.

2.   Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary:

a.   No person shall allow any of the following animals to be tethered: dangerous animal or animal in estrus.

b.   No person shall allow an animal to be tethered using a collar made of metal or chain, excluding the buckle, or using a collar, even if made of cloth, designed to continue to tighten, such as a slip lead or noose, when pulled tightly.

c.   No person shall allow an animal to have access to a public sidewalk or street while tethered.

d.   No person shall allow an animal to be tethered to a utility pole, parking meter, building, structure, fence, sign, tree, bush, bench, newspaper or advertising rack or other object on public property.

e.   No person shall allow an animal to be tethered in an unsafe location. An unsafe location includes, but is not limited to, near a fence whereby the animal could asphyxiate itself if it jumped over the fence or on a deck whereby the animal could asphyxiate itself if it jumped off of the deck.

f.   No person shall allow an animal to be tethered in a manner that allows it to become entangled with another tethered animal.