Miami, Florida

Sec. 6-41. – Cruelty to dogs; penalties.

(b) Tethering means to restrain a dog by tying the dog to any object or structure, including, but not limited to a house, tree, fence, post, garage, or shed, by any means, including, but not limited to a chain, rope, cord, leash or running line. This shall not include using a leash for walking purposes.

(c) It shall be unlawful for a responsible party to tether a dog while outdoors, except when all of the following conditions are met:

1. The dog is visible to the responsible party at all times and the responsible party is outside with the dog;
2. The tether is connected to the dog with a buckle-type collar or a body harness made of nylon or leather, not less than one (1) inch in width;
3. The tether has the following properties:
a. it must be at least five (5) times the length of the dog’s body, as measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail;and
b. it terminates at both ends with a swivel; and
c. it does not weigh more than one eighth (1/8) of the dog’s weight; and
d. it is free of tangles.
4. The dog is tethered so as to prevent injury, strangulation, or entanglement.
5. The dog is not outside during extreme weather, including, but not limited to, extreme heat or near-freezing temperatures, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms, or hurricanes.
6. The dog has access to water, shelter and dry ground.
7. The dog is a least six (6) months of age.
8. The dog is not sick or injured.
9. Pulley, running line or trolley systems are at least fifteen (15) feet in length and are less than seven (7) feet above ground.
10. If there are multiple dogs, each dog is tethered separately.