Rome, Georgia

Sec. 4-14. Keeping domestic animals and livestock under control.

(a) Except as outlined in paragraph (b) below, an owner of a domestic animal or livestock must ensure that such animal is not tethered, whether by chain, rope, tie, leash, or other fastener, whether inside a structure or a vehicle or outdoors, to anything, including, but not limited to, any dog house, tree, fence, other animal, vehicle, runner, railing, house, or furniture.

(b) A domestic animal or livestock may only be tethered if such tethering is on a temporary basis while the animal is attended by its owner, and if the tether is attached to a properly fitted harness or collar.

(c) The following are not permitted at any time when tethering an animal, regardless of whether the animal is attended by its owner or not:

(1) Use of a choke, prong, martingale, or similar collar;

(2) Wrapping the tether directly around the animal’s neck;

(3) Use of a tether that, including all collars, harnesses, weights, locks, and other tethering accessories that have their weight borne by the animal, weighs more than five percent of the body weight of the animal;

(4) Use of a tether that restricts the animal’s range of movement to less than the greater of five feet or one and one-half times the length of the animal’s body, whether such restriction is due to (i) the length of the tether, (ii) the height at which the tether is attached to a thing, (iii) tangling, wrapping, or other shortening of the useful length of the tether, (iv) obstacles, or (v) other circumstances reducing the animal’s range of movement;

(5) Confinement in an outside compartment of a running vehicle; or

(6) Confinement in an inside compartment of a running vehicle when the tether is attached to the animal’s collar and any part of the vehicle.