by Acadiana Animal Aid Board Member, Becky Kirk Do you know or have you seen a dog chained or tied up for hours at a time in someone’s backyard? Have you seen a dog tied up with no shelter or shade from the unrelenting heat with no source of water within sight much less within reach? Have you seen a dog sitting out on a chain in the cold rain without shelter? Do you pass that yard and wish there was something you could do to alleviate the animal’s suffering? Maybe you are only a phone call away from changing that animal’s situation. Lafayette Parish’s ordinance defining Cruelty to Animals (Sec. 10-231) includes a prohibition against tying up (tethering) animals except under certain, very specific situations. Tethering an animal for significant periods of time is a practice that unfortunately we see all too often in and around Lafayette parish. Perhaps, the guardian of the dog simply doesn’t realize the cruelty of his decision to chain or tie out his dog. But, it is, by definition, animal cruelty. To prevent such cruelty, Lafayette City-Parish Government regulates the when and how an animal may be tethered. The ordinance provides that tethering, confining or restraining an animal in such a way as to cause an animal to become entangled in the tether is prohibited. To tether an animal where the animal cannot access food and water for more than 24 hours is also prohibited. Tethering an animal in such a manner as he is unable to access shelter from bad weather, be it heat in the summer, the cold of winter, or rain/storms which affect South Louisiana all year round, is specifically forbidden. If one must tether an animal (which we at AAA strongly advise against), the line to which the animal is tied to be legal must be a minimum length of 5 times the length of the animal measured from his nose to the base of his tail. The exception to that rule is only when the person’s property upon which the animal is tied, is too small to allow the animal to move about safely or without becoming entangled when such tether measures the minimum length required. In such cases, the tether must be of a sufficient length to allow the animal to move about without becoming entangled and also permit the animal access to food, water, and shelter from the elements. Lastly, the tether must restrict the dog to the owner’s property and the entire area where the animal is tethered must be kept free of obstructions to prevent entanglement. If you see an animal tethered in a manner contrary to the law, call Animal Control at 337-291-5644. Advise Animal Control of the location of the animal and that the animal is being tethered contrary to Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government, LA Code of Ordinances, Section 10-231 Cruelty to animals (a)(10). Request that Animal Control personnel investigate the situation and take the proper action. Then, follow up the next day…and the next. What’s the saying these days? If you See Something, Say Something. Well, now we know that we have the law on our side. And that’s The 411.
The post The 411 on Tethering appeared first on Acadiana Animal Aid, AAA.