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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We did not have a quorum to do business at our NJAGDU conference board meeting of Thursday, October 5.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Those who were on the call had an interesting discussion concerning some new legislation that has been passed during the most recent NJ legislative session. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the bills Regulates tethering and confinement of, and proper shelter for, dogs. Ginger was under the impression that it might require changes in the way many of us use tie-downs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have a different impression after reading the bill, and will provide the plane-language summary and link to the actual bill below. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The way I read it, the bill does prohibit the use of a choke collar when confining a dog, but exempts anybody who is in the presence of their dog. It doesn’t mention service animals or blind people anywhere in the bill I read. Perhaps there is amended or updated version I am not finding. Anyway, read on if you are interested. The summary is below, followed by the link to the full text and summary.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rick fox <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>STATEMENT<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> This bill establishes specific requirements for tethering (section 2 of the bill) or confining a dog (section 5 of the bill), prohibits tethering of a dog under certain circumstances, an, and requires the owner or other person with custody or control over the dog to provide the dog with proper shelter and continuous access to it when the dog is left outdoors for more than 30 minutes under adverse weather conditions. The standards and requirements for proper shelter are enumerated in section 6 of the bill. The bill defines adverse weather conditions as:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 1) when the outdoor ambient temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or there are other outdoor environmental conditions, including, but not limited to, wind, rain, snow, ice, sleet, hail, or cold, that a person should reasonably know would pose an adverse risk to the health or safety of a dog, based on the dog’s size, age, physical condition, or thickness of the dog’s hair or fur; or<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 2) when the outdoor ambient temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, or a dog is exposed to direct sunlight, hot pavement, or heat, that a person should reasonably know would pose an adverse risk to the health or safety of a dog, based on the dog’s size, age, physical condition, or thickness of the dog’s hair or fur.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> In addition to the specific tethering requirements, the bill also specifically prohibits:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 1) whether indoors or outdoors, the dog being tethered with a halter or harness that fits on the dog’s head or body, or with a tether or collar to which a weight is attached;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 2) outdoors between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.; or<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 3) under adverse weather conditions for more than 30 minutes without continuous access to proper shelter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The bill also specifies its prohibitions do not apply if the owner of the dog or the person with custody or control of a dog is outdoors on the property where the dog is located.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The bill establishes procedures for issuing summonses and seizing dogs that are not properly tethered or provided for during adverse weather conditions. The bill establishes, in addition to penalties that may apply pursuant to the State criminal statutes, the following penalties, at the discretion of the court:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 1) for a first offense, a fine of $100, or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both; <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 2) for a second offense, a fine of $200, or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 3) for a third or subsequent offense, a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $500, imprisonment for not more than three months, or both, and the person would also be guilty of a disorderly persons offense.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Finally, the bill establishes a civil penalty for improperly tethering a dog or failing to provide proper shelter for a dog as a civil offense under the State animal cruelty statutes. The violator would be liable for a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $500.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A2500/2426_I1.HTM">http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A2500/2426_I1.HTM</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>