Leaving Your Pet Chained Outside in North Carolina: Is It Illegal? Pets are some of the loved members in a house, but you always have this feeling worrying about their health and safety when they are chained outside for many hours.
North Carolina has laws protecting animals, like the no-tie rule for pets and letting them out in the open. Let’s get to see what says the law and what happens when it is broken.
Know Your Tethering Laws in North Carolina
Tethering is when one attaches a dog or any other pet tied to some fixed object that does not move, such as a tree, fence, or post. This is usually done using chains, ropes, or leads.
The North Carolina tethering regulations aim at the protection of animals from suffering or injury while tethered.
While North Carolina law does not say it is illegal to tie up a pet outside, there are still rules you need to follow. According to the state, pets cannot be tethered in a way that is damaging or cruel.
A growing number of counties and municipalities have enacted more specific ordinances governing tethering. If you care about the well-being of your animal, some municipal laws will regulate how long an animal can be tethered for, what type of tether may be used and other conditions.
Local Ordinances and Constraints
While North Carolina does not have a law that strictly prohibits tethering across the whole state, smaller cities and towns do have tighter rules:
Wake County: Only can be tethered at certain hours, and the cord must be at least 10 feet long. You cannot be continuously tethered unless the owner is there.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg: You may only tether your animal for limited periods of time-as long as 10 hours a day. In addition, tethers shall allow the animal to move about freely and shall include provision for the animal to turn to prevent choking or becoming entangled.
In Durham County: no animal may be restrained for longer than three hours in a 24-hour period, and only humane tethers that do not cause harm or injury to the animal are permitted.
In these and other counties, violation of these laws can result in fines or even a charge of animal cruelty, depending on the severity of the crime.
Requirements for Humane Tethering
Even in areas where tethering is allowed under the law, North Carolina says that animals are entitled to a safe place to exist, food, and water. If you do any of the following, it’s usually against the law and might get you into trouble:
Not Enough cover: Pets need to have the kind of cover suitable for weather and can help keep them out of extreme heat and cold, heavy rain, and other bad weather. If you leave your dog in the hard weather, you may get into trouble.
Lack of provision: A pet should always have fresh water and enough food. It is quite unprofessional to deny an animal these two very basic needs while it is chained up.
Unsafe or inhumane tethering: Heavy chains or short tethers limit animals’ physical movement, causing them pain and discomfort as well as stress. The pet must be able to move freely, untangle themselves without being choked on the leash, and make easy turns.
Tethering in Dangerous Conditions: Animals should not be left tethered in extreme weather, such as a heat wave, snowstorm, or earthquake.
Tethering an animal in a harmful location, such as beside a heavy traffic or in an area where wild animals are inclined to attack them, is also against the law and may land you in jail.
Effects of Breaking Tethering Statutes
Tethering regulations in North Carolina or even county bylaws can result in a myriad of penalties if the offense is grave. In some instances, offenders might have to face:
Fines: Your local government will fine you between $50 and $500 if you break rules about connecting. The repeat offenders may be charged with even bigger fines.
Animal Seizure: If an animal faces extreme neglect or abuse, the agency for local animal control may seize it and put it in safe custody. You could lose custody of your pets forever in case you neglected them.
Charges: If tethering gets out of hand and causes an animal harm, kills, or seriously injures an animal, you may be charged with animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is a Class H felony in the state of North Carolina. If convicted, you can be incarcerated for 39 months.
How to Report Animal Cruelty
You can report an animal to animal control or the police if you think it is being tied or ignored in an inhumane way.
Most North Carolina counties have hotlines or online forms where you can make a complaint without giving your name. Taking action could keep an animal from having to go through pointless pain.
Conclusion
Leaving your pet chained outside in North Carolina is not illegal, but there are very strict rules in place on how tethering can be done so it does not cause harm or abuse.
Owners have to provide their pets with a safe abode, food, and water, and they have to tie up their pets using gentle methods. People who violate these rules may be fined, see their animals taken away, or be charged with a crime in extreme cases.
To make sure your furry friend stays safe and healthy outside, as a responsible pet owner, you should learn about the tethering rules in your area.
