Leaving Your Pet Chained Outside in Washington: Is It Illegal? In Washington State, strict laws govern the treatment of animals, even laws that specify how to treat and chain pets outside. The aim of these laws is to ensure that animals are dealt with in a lenient manner. They also stipulate when and how pets can be chained outside.
Washington State’s Animal Welfare Act
Washington’s laws on welfare of animals, especially RCW 16.52, prohibit hurting the animal, which also includes tethering them too much or in a dangerous manner.
The law details specifically what “illegal tethering” entails, meaning pet owners who wish to tether their pets outside have to abide by strict guidelines.
Key Rules on Tethering
House: If you do keep your pet outside, the law says they need to have a means of getting to a place to stay during extreme weather such as heat, cold, rain, and wind.
The shelter must be able to keep the animal warm and must provide space enough for it to sit, stand, lie down, and turn around.
Clean Food and Water: Those dogs chained up should always have clean water and appropriate food to them. The water need to be fresh to avoid dehydration of the animal especially during hot temperatures and clean and accessible to the pet.
Well-maintained and Safe Environment for Tethering: An animal should not be tethered with chains or collars that are too tight, heavy, or unsafe as this may hurt them.
According to law, no choke or strangulation collars are allowed. Also, the tether has to be at least three times the length of the animal’s body (not counting the tail), so the animal has room to move.
Safety from Harm and Tangles: Washington law holds that the tethering system must not put the pet at risk of getting hurt or tangled.
This means keeping the pet away from sharp objects or other things that may hurt the pet, and also maintaining the area to which the pet is tethered as free from things that could harm the pet or get the tether tangled.
Time Limits on Tethering: In Washington, you can’t be tethered for too long. Even though there isn’t a specific number of hours one is not supposed to spend tethered daily, the law doesn’t like it when people leave their animals chained up for too long.
This is because being alone and unable to move around for a long time hurts people physically and mentally.
Extreme Weather Considerations: Under extreme weather conditions, such as freezing or extremely hot temperatures, it is not advisable to tether pets outdoors without shelter.
In some Washington cities and towns, there may be additional ordinances that make it unlawful to tether your pet outside in inclement weather. If the pet is left out in bad weather for a period of time, it could result in fines to the owner or even a crime.
Penalties for Tethering Ordinance Violations
If you fail to adhere to these laws, you may face penalties, such as fines, up to criminal charges, depending on the severity of the offense.
Animal cruelty and neglect, even through tethering an animal improperly, can be charged with a misdemeanor or felony. More severe penalties are applied if the injury or death is caused to the animal.
More Local Laws and Ordinances
Some cities in Washington state have laws that make it harder to tether out in public.
More so, the laws about keeping animals secure and safe in Seattle are stricter, and a person who breaks these laws can be fined and also have his pet taken away or even charged with animal cruelty.
Conclusion
In Washington, it is not illegal to leave pets outside on chains, but rather there are very strict laws about how it should be done.
To avoid violating the law and keep their animals healthy, pet owners must ensure that their animals have a safe living space, clean water, sufficient space, and a safe way to be tethered.
Proper care of the pet should be taken into action, and knowledge of the state as well as local laws will best help avoid fines and help animals.
