Joplin, Missouri

Sec. 18-45. – Tethering dogs.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, harboring or in possession of any dog to permit it to be free of restraint when outside the residence of the owner or other similar structure or location where the dog is housed or located either on a permanent or temporary basis.

(b) Any dog permitted to be kept within the city shall not be chained, tied, fastened or otherwise tethered to any stationary or inanimate object as a means of confinement and restraint to property.

(1) Exception:

a. When a fenced yard or pen (enclosure) is not available, tethering shall be allowed on rare occasions but shall not be for more time than is necessary for the dog owner or custodian to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be physically restrained for a reasonable time.

b. When a fenced yard or pen is not available, tethering shall be allowed for

short periods of time, not to exceed 30 minutes, for the purpose of the dog to relieve itself.

c. When a dog is tethered as allowed in the above exceptions, the dog must be tethered by a nonchoke type collar or a body harness to a tether that is at least three times the body length of the dog, measured from the dog’s nose to the back of the hindquarters and which tether is free from any objects that could cause entanglement or strangulation. The tether shall be proportional to the size and weigh no more than one-eighth (⅛) of the dog’s body weight.

d. When a dog is secured by a leash or other means on a vehicle in transit, such as the open bed of a truck, such that the dog cannot reach past the edge of any of the sides of the vehicle.

e. Dogs shall not be tethered outside during periods of extreme weather where the dog’s health would be put at risk.

f. This section shall not apply to dogs used by law enforcement agencies in the performance of their duties, service dogs, or any facility in the city licensed by the USDA, Missouri Department of Agriculture or the Missouri Board of Veterinary Medicine.