Fairfax, Virginia, Passes City-Wide Ban on Continuous Dog Chaining - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up!
To Fairfax City Council in Virginia for passing an ordinance that dramatically limits dog tethering.

All dogs require daily exercise and interaction with their owners.

According to a recent news article, Fairfax, VA, recently passed a city ordinance to set strict limitations on dog chaining. The new city ordinance stipulates that companion animals can’t be tethered or chained for more than one hour per day. Residents are not permitted to tether any animal who is sick, injured, or under the age of 4 months. Tethering and chaining is also prohibited when the temperature is above 90 degrees or less than 32 degrees. Penalties for chaining a companion animal outside of these stipulations range between $50 and $250.

Dogs who are chained continuously face daily threats to their physical and psychological well-being. In addition to the dangers posed by extreme weather and disease-carrying insects, chained dogs are also vulnerable to attacks by wild or roaming animals. Furthermore, dogs who are chained continuously suffer from extreme frustration and lack of socialization, which can make some dogs more likely to bite.

Take Action: Contact your city council or county commission and express your support for an ordinance prohibiting the continuous chaining of pets. Residents of Fairfax, contact your city council and thank them for passing this important ordinance.