Is It Illegal to Leave Your Pet Chained Outside in Delaware? Here’s What the Law Says

It is generally illegal in Delaware to leave your pet, especially a dog, chained or tethered outside for extended periods or during extreme weather conditions. State law restricts tethering to no more than two consecutive hours and a total of nine hours in any 24-hour period, and additional local ordinances may impose stricter standards.

Statewide Tethering Laws

1. Delaware law makes it illegal to tether a dog outdoors for more than two consecutive hours or more than nine hours in a 24-hour span—even if the owner is present.
2. Tethering a dog outside is prohibited during periods of severe weather, including excessive heat, temperatures at or below 32°F, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
3. Tethering devices must meet specific safety requirements to prevent injury, strangulation, or entanglement, such as using buckle-type collars and avoiding neck-only attachments.

Local Ordinances

1. Municipalities like Smyrna, Delaware, ban outdoor tethering for longer than six consecutive hours without direct physical contact with the dog and enforce similar weather-related provisions.
2. Devices must allow proper access to food, water, shelter, and dry ground, and cannot be used on sick, injured, or very young puppies.

Consequences

1. Violating state or local tethering laws can result in fines, criminal charges for animal cruelty, and removal of the animal from the owner’s custody.
2. Enforcement is typically managed by local animal control officers or law enforcement agencies.

Leaving a pet chained outside in Delaware for extended periods or during extreme weather is illegal, and violators may face legal penalties for animal cruelty and improper tethering.

Sources

(https://sportsmensalliance.org/news/delaware-tethering-bill-passes-senate/)
(https://www.hemlane.com/resources/delaware-pet-rent-laws/)
(https://www.steadily.com/blog/pet-laws-regulations-rental-properties-delaware)
(https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/ordinances/delaware/smyrna-delaware/)
(https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-dog-tether-laws)