Berkeley Towship Proposes Measure to Protect Pets

Pet owners who leave their dogs chained outside for long hours or in bad weather would be fined under a measure the Berkeley Township Council has proposed. 

Violators caught tethering their pets for more than four hours at a time would face up to a $500 fine and up to three months of jail time, according to a copy of the ordinance.

Animals would not be allowed to be chained outside when temperatures exceed 85 degrees or drop below 32 degrees. Dogs would not be allowed to be chained for more than four consecutive hours or more than six hours total in any 24-hour period, and not between sunset and sunrise.  Chains would have to be at least 15 fee long, with a swivel on both ends, weigh no more than one-eighth of the dog's weight, and be attached to a properly fitting collar or harness.  The chains also would have to allow the dog to access shelter, food, and water, and would have to be tethered in an area where it couldn't be tangled with other objects.

A public hearing on the measure is scheduled for 6 p.m., May 18, at town hall.