Huntington, New York

§ 78-17 Unattended animals and tethering of animals.

(E) It shall be a violation of this section for any person to leave a dog unattended outdoors for over thirty minutes in inclement weather or under other conditions or for such a period of time as may endanger the health or well-being of such dog due to heat, lack of water or such other circumstances, such as weather advisory by any federal, state, county or town government or as reasonably may be expected to cause suffering, disability or death. It shall be a rebuttable presumption that any temperature below thirty two (32) degrees Fahrenheit or above ninety five (95) degrees Fahrenheit constitutes inclement weather.

(F) It shall be a violation of this section for any person to tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie an unattended dog to any stationary object outdoors or cause such dog to be restrained in a manner that:

(1) Endangers such dog’s health, safety or well-being;

(2) Restricts such dog’s access to suitable food, fresh, potable water and dry ground;

(3) Does not provide such dog with shelter appropriate to its breed, physical condition, and the climate as defined by § 353-b of the New York State Agriculture and Market Law; or

(4) Unreasonably limits the movement of such dog because the restraint is too short for the dog to move around or for the dog to urinate or defecate in an area separate from the area where the dog must eat, drink or lie down.

(5) Exception. The temporary tethering, leashing, fastening, securing, restraining, chaining or tying of an unattended dog to a stationary object outside of a commercial or private establishment other than one’s own residence, is exempt from the provisions set forth in subsection (F), provided the unattended temporary tethering, leashing, fastening, securing, restraining, chaining or tying does not exceed one hour, and as long as it is done in a manner that does not endanger such dog’s health, safety and wellbeing or those of the general public.

(G) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (F), no person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any object with a device that:

(1) Is a choke collar, pinch collar, prong collar or a similar collar that restrains the dog in such a manner that it impairs the flow of oxygen or blood to the dog and which may cause choking or cause substantial discomfort to the dog;

(2) Is embedded, partially embedded or may become embedded in the dog’s skin;

(3) Has weights attached or contains links that are more than 1/4 inch thick;

(4) Weighs more than 12.5% of the dog’s total body weight, not to exceed fifteen (15) pounds for any dog;

(5) Is less than fifteen (15) feet in length, except that the device may be in a shorter length if the length of fifteen (15) may allow activity prohibited in Section 78-17 (G)(7) below;

(6) Because of its design or placement is likely to become entangled;

(7) Is long enough to allow such dog to move outside of its owner’s property;

(8) Would allow the restrained dog to move over an object, including any fencing, barrier, or edge that could result in the strangulation of or injury to such dog; or

(9) Is fixed (i.e., does not swivel) on either end.

(H) No person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie an unattended dog to any stationary object outdoors for more than one continuous hour in any continuous twelve-hour period between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.

(I) No person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie an unattended dog to any stationary object outdoors between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

(J) Multiple dogs shall not be tethered, leashed, fastened, restrained, chained or tied in such a manner that they are able to come into contact with one another at any point in time while restrained.

(K) No person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie an unattended dog to any stationary object outdoors if the dog is:

(1) Less than six months of age;

(2) Sick or injured; or

(3) A nursing mother whose offspring is present.

(L) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no person shall allow a tethered, leashed, fastened, chained, tied, secured or restrained dog to be taunted, prod, hit, harassed, threatened, attacked or otherwise harmed by humans or other animals.