Miami Gardens, Florida

Sec. 14-622. – Supervision, confinement and tethering of canines.

(a) As used in this article, the term “tether” means to restrain a canine by tying the canine to any object or structure, including without limitation a house, tree, fence, post, garage, or shed, by any means, including without limitation a chain, rope, cord, leash or running line.

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

(1) The canine is in visual range of the responsible party, and the responsible party is located outside with the canine.

(2) The tether is connected to the canine by a buckle-type collar or a body harness made of nylon or leather, not less than one inch in width.

(3) The tether has the following properties: it is at least five times the length of the canine’s body, as measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail; it terminates at both ends with a swivel; it does not weigh more than one-eighth of the canine’s weight; and it is free of tangles.

(4) The canine is tethered in such a manner as to prevent injury, strangulation, or entanglement.

(5) The canine is not outside during a period of extreme weather, including without limitation extreme heat or near-freezing temperatures, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms, or hurricanes.

(6) The canine has access to water, shelter, and dry ground.

(7) The canine is at least six months of age. Puppies shall not be tethered.

(8) The canine is not sick or injured.

(9) The pulley, running line, or trolley systems are 15 feet in length and are less than seven feet above the ground.

(10) If there are multiple canines, each canine must be tethered separately.