March 27, 2017
No dog shall be tethered unattended except for a reasonable amount of time to allow a person to complete a temporary task that requires the animal to be restrained. No dog shall be tethered during extreme cold or extreme heat as defined by the ordinance.
§ 141-207. Code Blue/Code Red.
The City’s Animal Control Officer shall have the authority to announce/call a Code Blue, relating to extreme cold, or Code Red, relating to extreme heat, requiring the owners of dogs to protect the unattended dog from the extreme heat or cold by bringing the dog into the place where the owner or person who has custody, control or possession of the dog resides.
(1) A Code Blue may be called by the Animal Control Officer when the National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a wind chill temperature of 20° F. or below or precipitation with temperatures below 32° F .
(2) A Code Red may be called by the Animal Control Officer when the National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a heat index at 95° F. or above.
§ 141-208. Tethering prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to tether, fasten, chain, tie, restrain or cause an unattended dog to be fastened, chained, tied or restrained to houses, trees, fences, garages, stakes or other stationary or highly immobile objects by means of a rope, chain, strap or other physical restraint for the purpose of confinement, except in circumstances where all of the following requirements are satisfied:
(1) The tethering is not for a longer period of time than reasonably necessary for the dog’s owner or custodian to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be physically restrained, and
(2) The tether is attached to the dog by a non-choke type collar and attached to the stationary object by swivel anchors, latches, or similar devices in a manner which prevents the tether from becoming entangled around any object so as to limit the dog’s freedom within the tethered area, or to prevent the dog, or any of its appendages, from becoming entangled by the tether, and
(3) The tether must be of a type commonly used for the size of the dog involved and if the tether is a chain, it may not be thicker than one-eighth of an inch, and
(4) The dog has easy access to (i) potable drinking water, (ii) edible food and (iii) adequate shade and/or shelter within the tethered area, and
(5) The dog is periodically monitored while tethered for the aforementioned reasonable period of time, and
(6) The dog is not tethered outdoors in violation of § 141-207, Code Red or Code Blue above.
