Delaware Is Tackling Dog Tethering - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up!
February 7, 2020

UPDATE (3/14/2020): Governor Carney signed Senate Bill 139 on March 11, 2020.

To Delaware Legislators for introducing an amendment to Senate Bill 139 to create a more humane life for tethered dogs.

Many dogs in the United States live continuously on a chain. Due to the extreme neglect some of them face from their irresponsible owners, lawmakers have enforced restrictions to help create a better life for them. Some of these restrictions include the amount of time they are allowed to be tethered in 24 hours and the types of acceptable tethers.

Currently, twenty-two states, including Washington D.C., have some form of tethering laws. These states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

Delaware has proposed several amendments to its current law, Senate Bill 139. Amendment 4 sponsored by Representative Peter Schwartzkopf (D) prohibits dogs from being housed in metal dog houses, or an enclosure with wire flooring. Amendment 5 sponsored by Representative Earl Jaques Jr. (D) would make it unlawful for residents to tether their dogs for more than nine consecutive hours in a day. Both amendments have passed the House.

Take Action: Delaware residents contact Governor John Carney to show your support for Amendment 4 and Amendment 5 to create a more humane life for tethered dogs.

Order our free brochure, Life On A Chain, to learn more about the dangers of prolonged tethering.