Ormond Beach, Florida

Sec. 5-5. – Cruelty; tethering of animals prohibited; exceptions.

(1) No person shall unnecessarily overload, overdrive, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily or cruelly beat, mutilate, or kill any animal, or cause the same to done, or carry in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in cruel or inhumane manner.

(2) No person shall tether a dog, cat, or other animal on private property except as allowed in accordance with the following conditions:

(a) The tether must be made of a material, thickness, size, strength, and weight that is reasonable to safely secure the dog, cat, or other animal without placing or causing excessive strain or stress on the animal.

(b) Each end of the tether must have affixed to it a closed-end spring clip, carabiner clip, coupling, or other type of closed-end clip that is securely affixed to a swivel or pivot, all the components of which are made of high-strength metal, steel or composite material, and that allows the ends of the tether to freely rotate three hundred sixty degrees (360°).

(c) The tether shall be at least five (5) feet in length and no more than ten (10) feet in length.

(d) The tether shall be no higher in elevation than the height of the tethered animal.

(e) One end of the tether must be securely attached to a commercially designed pet tie-out stake, commonly referred to as a spiral ground anchor or ground corkscrew, or some other commercial or non-commercial device that allows a tethered dog, cat or other animal to freely walk or move about the tie-out stake or device in a circular manner. The other end of the tether must be securely attached to the animal’s collar or harness.

(f) The pet tie-out stake or device and tether must be placed in a location that prevents the dog, cat, or other animal from becoming entangled with objects or other tethered animals, and must not be placed in a location that prevents the tethered animal from accessing water, dry ground, shade, or shelter.

(g) The dog, cat, or other animal must at all times be provided clean water, dry ground, and shelter for protection from the sun, hot and cold weather, rain, and other inclement weather events.

(h) The dog, cat, or other animal shall not be tethered in extreme weather conditions, which shall be defined as being hot weather in excess of eighty-five degrees (85°), cold weather lower than fifty degrees (50°), thunderstorms, lightening, hail, hurricanes, tornados, tropical storms, flood waters, winds in excess of twenty (20) miles per hour, and other natural and manmade calamities.

(i) The dog, cat, or other animal must at all times be accompanied while outside by, and be within visual range of, its owner or other person who is responsible for supervising the tethered animal, except that a tethered animal may be left unattended for short periods of time not to exceed thirty (30) minutes in duration.

(j) In no event shall the owner or other person who is responsible for supervising the animal leave the property while the dog, cat, or other animal is tethered outside.

(k) A dog, cat, or other animal may never be tethered on unoccupied, vacant, or abandoned property.

(l) A dog, cat, or other animal may never be tethered or left unattended inside any structure that is unsafe, dilapidated, or has been abandoned.

(m) The dog, cat, or other animal must be at least six (6) months of age; and must not be sick, injured, or afflicted with contagious disease.

(n) If multiple dogs, cats, or other animals are to be tethered, each animal must be tethered separately from the others, and tethered in a location that prevents them from becoming entangled with the other tethered animals.

(o) Tethering shall be prohibited between the hours of dusk and dawn.

(p) Tethering on public property shall be prohibited at all times.

(3) Violations of this section shall be subject to enforcement in accordance with the special master code enforcement system as provided in chapter 2, article VII of this Code and/or criminal prosecution as provided by F.S. § 828.12, if applicable.