FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.949
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEBURNETT.
0985H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter578,RSMo,byaddingtheretoonenewsectionrelatingtotheoffenseof
unlawfuldogtetheringorchaining,withapenaltyprovision.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter578,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoonenewsection,tobe
2knownassection578.019,toreadasfollows:
578.019.1.Apersoncommitstheoffenseofunlawfuldogtetheringorchaining
2iftheperson:
3 (1)Keepsadogtetheredorchainedwhilethedogisunsupervisedbya
4competentindividualphysicallypresentonthepropertywiththedog;
5 (2)Keepsadogtethered,chained,orotherwiserestrictedbyaleash,rope,chain,
6orothersimilarmechanismwithwhichthedogdoesnothaveshelterfromextreme
7naturalelements,adequatefood,oraccesstounfrozenpotablewater;
8 (3)Keepsadogtetheredorchainedinanareathatisunsafeorinsanitaryornot
9freefromobstructionthatmaycauseentanglementorinjury;
10 (4)Keepsadogtetheredorchainedforatleastthirtyminutesatatime,overa
11totalofthreehoursinatwenty-four-hourperiod;or
12 (5)Inappropriatelytethersorchainsadogwithatetherorchainthatisnot
13proportionatetothesizeofthedog,thatislessthanfifteenfeetinlength,andthatisnot
14attachedtothedogbyaproperlyfittingharnessorcollar.
15 2.TheoffenseofunlawfuldogtetheringorchainingisaclassBmisdemeanor.
16 3.Theprovisionsofthissectionshallnotapplytoapersonrestrainingadog:
17 (1)Undertherequirementsofacampingorrecreationalarea;or
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18 (2)Temporarilyduringtheactofhunting.
19 4.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsmean:
20 (1)"Animalcontrol",themunicipalorcountyanimalcontrolagencyorother
21entityresponsibleforenforcinganimal-relatedlaws;
22 (2)"Tetheringorchaining",thepracticeoftying,fastening,orrestrainingadog
23toastationaryobjectasameansofkeepingthedogundercontrol.Theterm"tethering
24orchaining"doesnotapplytoadogbeingwalkedonaleash.
25 5.Alawenforcementorananimalcontrolofficer,iftheanimalcontrolofficer
26hastheauthority,maymakeanarrestforaviolationunderthissection.
27 6.Ananimalcontrolofficermayimmediatelyseizeadogiftheofficerhas
28reasonablegroundstobelievethatpromptactionisrequiredtoprotectthehealthand
29safetyofthedogorothers.
âś”
HB949 2