Wilton Manors, Florida

August 12, 2006

Companion animals may not be kept outside during extreme weather, and those under 6 months of age may not be tethered. No companion animal may be tethered for more than 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tethering is allowed only when certain requirements are met.

Sec. 4-4. – Supervision and confinement; tethering.

(a) The following terms, as used in this section, are defined as set out below:
Animal: A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as capacity for locomotion, nonphotosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure.

(b) Any person who owns or any person who is in charge of any dog, cat or animal kept as a pet is prohibited from confining or tethering that dog, cat or animal outdoors during periods of extreme weather or when a hurricane warning has been issued.

(c) Any person who owns or any person who is in charge of any dog, cat or animal kept as a pet who confines that animal outdoors on private property must provide the dog, cat or animal with:

(1) Sufficient and appropriate food and potable water; and

(2) Adequate shelter from cold, heat, sun, and rain; and

(3) Periodic supervision, which shall mean that each animal shall be attended to at least once during every twelve (12) consecutive hours; and

(4) Adequate space for exercise, which shall mean no less than one hundred fifty (150) square feet per animal; and

(5) A fenced yard, an electronic fence, or an enclosure, which has at least one (1) translucent side, that is sufficient to prevent the animal from escaping; or

(6) A tether under the following circumstances:

a. Any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any dog, cat, or animal that is under the age of six (6) months shall not tie, chain, or otherwise tether a dog, cat or animal kept as a pet that is under the age of six (6) months outdoors.

b. Any person who owns or any person who is in charge or in control of any animal that is over the age of six (6) months shall not tie, chain, or otherwise tether a dog, cat or animal kept as a pet outdoors between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. except that an animal kept as a pet of any age may be temporarily tethered, tied, or chained outdoors for a total time period not exceeding fifteen (15) minutes. At other times, it is permitted to tie, chain, or otherwise tether an animal kept as a pet that is over the age of six (6) months outdoors if the pet is collared by a properly fitting, non-choke type collar or a body harness that is fastened to either:

i. A tether that is at least three (3) times the body length of the dog, cat, or animal measured from the dog, cat, or animal’s nose to back of the hindquarters, and that is free from entanglement; or

ii. An overhead run, which is a leash or chain attached to an overhead wire at least ten (10) feet long, that allows the dog, cat, or animal to move unheeded, when total weight of the collar together with the chain, rope, or tether does not exceed one-sixteenth (1/16) the body weight of the animal.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an owner or keeper from controlling a dog, cat or animal kept as a pet by the handheld use of a rope, leash, or chain, when total weight of the collar together with the chain, rope, or tether does not exceed one-sixteenth (1/16) the body weight of the animal.

(Ord. No. 907, § 2, 8-12-06)