Although the law was passed in 2015, this is the first summer that Indianapolis dog owners will be subject to compliance. According to the new law, dogs, “must be brought into a temperature controlled facility when the temperature is at or below 20°F or at or above 90°F, or when a heat advisory, wind chill warning, or tornado warning has been issued by local, state, or national authority, except when the dog in visual range of a competent adult who is outside with the dog (1)”.
Photo Credit: Pixabay / Counselling
This is starting to cause some controversy among dog owners because with proper care and caution, a pet could be outside without fear of injury. Some people feel that it is overreaching by controlling how dog owners manage for the care of their dog, or in situations where you might have to run inside to grab the phone and are believed to have left the dog outside for too long.
Photo Credit: Pixabay / tpsdave
The law also states that if a dog is outside during the warm or cold months that the dog, “Has access to a shelter constructed of solid wood or other weather resistant material, consisting of a structure with solid walls on all sides, a dry floor raised above the ground, and a solid roof sloped away from the entrance to protect the dog from weather and extreme cold. During winter and any day when the temperature is at or below 40°F, the shelter must be just large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around, the entrance covered by a flexible wind-proofing material or self-closing door, and must contain clean, dry bedding, which must consist of an insulating material that does not retain moisture, such as straw, of sufficient depth for the dog to burrow. On any day when the temperature is at or above 80°F, the shelter must be shaded by trees, a tarp, or a tarp-like device (2)”.
I can understand laws that are designed to protect the health and safety of dogs where you have cases of animals being left in cars, or being tethered and suffering injury because of the restraint on their skin or in instances of severe weather.
I am also glad that more States are taking proactive measure to ensure the health and safety of animals, but I am also interested in your thoughts about this law in particular.
- Do you think it is a good law and why?
- Do you think it is a bad law and why?
- Could/Should it be changed, and how so?
h/t: Municode
