October 3, 2018
Dogs may not be tethered for longer than 12 hours in a 24-hour period or during severe weather alerts.
§ 75-30 Definitions.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Any person owning, harboring, or having custody or control of a dog.
TETHERING: To restrain a dog by attaching the dog 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. Tethering does not include the use of a leash to walk a dog.
WEATHER ALERT: A warning issued by the National Weather Service for heat advisory, frigid weather, snow or ice storm, tornados, tropical storm, high winds or thunderstorms.
§ 75-31 Prohibited acts.
A. It shall be unlawful for any responsible party to tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any stationary object outdoors or cause such dog to be restrained in a manner that:
(1) Endangers such dog’s health, safety or well-being;
(2) Restricts such dog’s access to suitable and sufficient food and water;
(3) Does not provide the dog with shelter appropriate to its breed, physical condition, and the climate as defined by § 353-b of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law; or
(4) Unreasonably limits the movement of such dog because the tether is too short for the dog to move around or for the dog to urinate or defecate in a separate area from the area where it must eat, drink and lie down.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this section, no responsible party shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any object with a device that:
(1) Is a choke collar, pinch collar, or similar collar that restrains the dog in such a manner that it impairs the flow of oxygen or blood to the dog, which may cause choking or causes substantial discomfort to the dog;
(2) Is embedded, partially embedded or may become embedded in such dog’s skin;
(3) Has weights attached or contains links that are more than 1/4 inch thick;
(4) Weighs more than 12.5% of the dog’s total body weight, not to exceed 15 pounds for any dog;
(5) Is less than 10 feet in length for a running cable trolley and 15 feet in length for a tether to a stationary object, but in no event shall the tether be long enough to allow the dog to move outside the responsible party’s property;
(6) Because of its design or placement, the tether is likely to become entangled;
(7) Would allow the restrained dog to move over an object or edge that could result in the strangulation of or injury to such dog.
C. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this section, no responsible party shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any stationary object outdoors if the dog is:
(1) Less than six months of age;
(2) Sick or injured; or
(3) A nursing mother whose offspring is present.
D. Multiple dogs shall not be tethered or restrained in such a manner that the dogs are able to come in contact with one another at any point while restrained.
E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this section, a dog may be tethered outside for a maximum of 12 hours in any twenty-four-hour period, except that a dog may not be tethered outside when the National Weather Service has issued a weather alert as defined in § 75-30.
F. Tethered dogs must be free of cruel conditions or inhumane tethering at any time. For purposes of this section, “cruel conditions or inhumane tethering” shall include the following:
(1) Exposure to animal waste, garbage, noxious odors or objects that could injure or kill a dog;
(2) Exposure to taunting, prodding, provoking, hitting, harassing, threatening or otherwise harming a tethered or confined dog;
(3) Exposing a dog to dangerous conditions, including potential attacks by other animals.
