Topeka, Kansas

2005

Dogs may not be left tethered unattended for more than 15 minutes. When dogs are tethered, certain requirements must be met.

6.05.040 Cruelty to animals.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to attach chains or other tethers, restraints or implements directly to a dog or cat without the proper use of a collar, harness, or other device designed for that purpose and made from a material that prevents injury to the animal. No person shall:

(1) Continuously tether a dog or cat for more than 15 minutes without supervision; or

(2) Use a tether or any assembly or attachments thereto to tether a dog or cat that shall weigh more than one-eighth of the animal’s body weight, or due to weight, inhibit the free movement of the animal within the area tethered; or

(3) Tether a dog or cat on a choke chain or in such a manner as to cause injury, strangulation, or entanglement of the dog on fences, trees, or other manmade or natural obstacles; or

(4) Tether a dog or cat without access to shade when sunlight is likely to cause overheating, or appropriate shelter to provide insulation and protection against cold and dampness when the atmospheric temperature falls below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or to tether a dog without securing its water supply so that it cannot be tipped over by the tether; or

(5) Tether a dog or cat in an open area where it can be teased by persons or an open area that does not provide the dog or cat protection from attack by other animals; or

(6) Tether a dog or cat in an area where bare earth is present and no steps have been taken to prevent the surface from becoming wet and muddy in the event of precipitation.