Forsyth County, Georgia

February 1, 2018

No dog may be tethered as a means of primary or permanent confinement.

Sec. 14-32. – Duty to keep animal under restraint while on property—No tethering of dogs as primary means of restraint.

(a) It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal to ensure that it is confined by way of a fence, restraint, or other enclosure including activated invisible fence or in some other physical manner under the control of a competent person so that it cannot wander off the real property limits of the owner, it being the intent of this article that all animals be prevented from leaving, while unattended, the real property limits of their owners.

(b) The above requirement notwithstanding, it shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to utilize a tether, chain, cable, rope, or cord as the primary method of restraining a dog, it being the intent of this section that tethering a dog shall be used only as a temporary restraint mechanism. In no event shall a dog be restrained by a tether, chain, cable, rope, or cord when the dog is not in the physical presence of and attended by the owner or adult custodian. The prohibition in this subparagraph shall have no application if the dog is in a park or recreational area where the rules of said park or recreational area require the tethering or physical restraint of dogs. Any tether used to temporarily confine a dog while attended by its owner or custodian must be attached to a properly fitted collar or harness and shall not be wrapped directly around the dog’s neck, except that veterinarians, employees of the county’s animal shelter, and professional dog handlers, trainers, and groomers may temporarily restrain a dog by a collar affixed around the neck if required as part of the commercial service being provided. Any such tether shall not be excessively heavy or weighted so as to inhibit the dog’s movement. It shall be prima facie evidence that a tether is impermissibly heavy if the weight of a dog’s tether exceeds ten percent of its body weight.