Denham Springs, Louisiana

April 19, 2009

Animals may not be tethered as a sole means of confinement.

Sec. 18-56. – Dogs on cables or tethers; improper confinement.
(1) Dogs and cats shall not be chained, tied, fastened or otherwise tethered as sole means for confinement to property. The continuous maintenance of a dog on a chain, rope or other kind of tether is abnormally restrictive and stressful and often results in health and temperament problems. In most cases, such long term confinement will cause the dog to suffer unnecessarily.
(2) An individual found chaining or tethering an animal in violation of this section has 30 days to provide other means of confinement, as long as other conditions of confinement and care are being met. The grace period is null and void immediately if the owner, at any time during the grace period, is not in compliance with other applicable laws relating to animals.
(3) As an alternative means of restraint, an animal may be attached to a running cable line or trolley system providing that:
(a) Only one animal may be attached to each running cable line or trolley system;
(b) No animal should be attached to a running cable line or trolley system for more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period;
(c) Tethers and cables attaching the animal to the running cable line or trolley system must be made of a substance which cannot be chewed by the animal and shall not weigh more than 1/18 of the body weight of the animal tethered;
(d) The running cable line or trolley system must be at least 50 feet in length and mounted at least four feet and no more than seven feet about ground level;
(e) The length of the tether from the running cable line or trolley system to the animal’s collar should allow access to the maximum available exercise area and allow the animal free access to required food, water, and shelter. The tether attaching the animal to the trolley system must allow the animal complete freedom to lie down or enter shelter without strain to the neck or body.
(f) Be attached to a properly fitted harness or collar not used for the display of a current rabies tag and other identification; and with enough room between the collar and the dog’s throat through which two fingers may fit. Choke collars and pinch collars are prohibited for the purpose of tethering an animal to a running cable line or trolley system; and
(g) Be tethered at sufficient distance from any other objects to prohibit the tangling of the cable, from extending over or around an object to an edge that could result in injury of [sic] strangulation of the animal and be of sufficient distance from any fence so as to prohibit the animal access to the fence.
(Code 1987, § 4:109(1), (3)—(8) ; Ord. No. 09-13, art. I, 4-14-09)