A bill in New York regulating the tethering of dogs has been amended to protect a variety of dog performance events and activities including hunting, tracking, “winter dog sports”, and training for these activities.
As mentioned in a previous alert, Assembly Bill 165 provides new requirements regarding tethering dogs outdoors for more than four hours. It also prohibits tethering dogs from 10pm-6am, among other provisions.
The bill does still state that dogs may not be tethered in “dangerous weather conditions”, defined in part as any weather condition that poses a health or safety risk to the dog. AKC supports this provision. However, it further defines “extreme heat or cold” as 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
AKC is unclear how this will be enforced for dogs who can tolerate temperatures outside this range, or dogs that require more moderate temperatures. However, we do appreciate that outdoor dog events and activities such as hunting, tracking, and sledding will be exempt from this and other provisions of the bill.
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) thanks the bill sponsor, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and the lawmakers and staff who supported these amendments to protect many humane outdoor dog events and activities. You can view the amended bill here.
AKC GR also thanks the Associated Dog Clubs of New York State (ADCNYS), and the many club members and sportsmen and women who partnered with us to educate lawmakers on the importance of protecting these activities and events. The bill as amended is pending in the Assembly Codes Committee. View AKC’s previous alert for more information on the bill’s status and information should you wish to contact the committee.
AKC GR and ADCNYS continue to closely monitor bills impacting dogs and dog owners in New York. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.