Gwinnett County, Georgia

July 1, 2015

This jurisdiction strengthened its previous ordinance by outright banning tethering under certain conditions.

Sec. 10-29. – Restraint.

(c) It shall be unlawful to tether an animal outdoors, except when all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The owner or adult custodian of the animal must be outside with the animal at all times and the animal must be visible to the owner.

(2) Single point tethering is prohibited

(3) Tethering an animal by a trolley system is the only approved form of tether.

(4) Only one animal may be attached to each trolley system;

(5) Any cable attached to the trolley system and attached to an animal must be at least ten feet in length and shall not allow the animal to come within five feet of the edge of the property line of the property upon which such animal is tethered;

(6) Tethers must be made of a substance which cannot be chewed by the animal, shall not weigh more than five percent of the body weight of the animal, and shall have a swivel on each end;

(7) The trolley system must be at least ten feet in length and mounted no more than seven feet above the ground level;

(8) The length of the tether from the trolley system to the animal’s collar should allow access to the maximum available exercise area and allow the animal free access to food, water, and shelter;

(9) The animal must be attached to the tether by a properly fitted harness or collar with enough room between the collar and the animal’s throat through which two fingers may fit. Choke collars and pinch collars are prohibited for the purpose of tethering an animal;

(10) The trolley system must be a sufficient distance from any other objects or animals to prohibit the tangling of the cable, to prohibit the cable from extending over an object or an edge that could result in injury or strangulation of the animal and be of sufficient distance from any fence so as to prohibit the animal from having access to the fence;

(11) The animal is not outside during extreme weather, including, but not limited to extreme heat or near freezing temperatures, or storms;

(12) The animal is at least six months of age; and

(13) The animal is not sick or injured.

(14) When an animal is found tethered unattended but in compliance with the remaining provisions of this subsection and the owner has received no prior warnings, or citations concerning tethering, an officer may provide information or a warning about proper tethering methods.