Battle Creek, Michigan

608.09 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

(a)   No person shall cruelly treat or abuse an animal in any of the following ways:

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(8)   Confine an animal on a tether unless the tether allows the animal access to suitable shelter and:

A.   For dogs, the tether is at least ten feet in length; the tether and collar, harness or other type of collaring device when taken together does not, due to weight, inhibit the free movement of the dog.

B.   For all other animals, the tether is at least three times the length of the animal as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, or the tether permits movement over at least 120 square feet, whichever is greater.

C.   The manner of tethering does not allow an animal to become tangled, injured or to suffer undue stress, suffer strangulation, cause entanglement on fences, trees or other man-made or natural obstacles or objects.

D.   The weight of the tether does not allow the animal to comfortably raise its head or move.

E.   The tether has swivels on both ends.

F.   The collar used with the tether is not a collar type that has prongs, or will pinch or choke the animal.

G.   The collar, harness or any other type of collaring device being used is designed for that purpose and made from material that prevents injury to the dog.

H.   The period of tethering does not exceed one continuous hour, except that tethering of the same dog may resume after a hiatus of three continuous hours; and the dog is tethered no more than a total of three hours per day.