HB551 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Russell BedsoleRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Animals, tethering of a dog, to establish protocal for tethering a dog and the requirement for the dogs care under certain conditions, violation is crime of animal cruelty

Summary

HB551 would regulate dog tethering by banning certain tethering times and conditions, require proper tethers and shelter, and make violations crimes of animal cruelty.

What This Bill Does

HB551 would restrict tethering by banning it between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. and during temperatures below 32°F unless shelter is provided, and it would bar tethering during certain weather warnings. If a dog is tethered, the tether must allow at least 12 feet of movement, be at least four times the dog's length (or 12 feet, whichever is greater), and weigh no more than 1/8 of the dog's weight, with a properly fitted collar or harness. Dogs must have access to food, water, and a sheltered area with bedding, and the tether must not prevent using the shelter; exemptions include hunting/training trips and certain temporary restraints up to 12 hours. Violating these rules would be charged as cruelty to animals, and the bill notes a constitutional provision about local funding but says it would be exempt because it creates a new crime.

Who It Affects

• Dog owners and caretakers who tether dogs, who must follow new tethering rules and could be charged with cruelty if they don't.
• Hunters and hunting/training operations, which are exempt from some restrictions when transporting or on hunting or training trips.

Key Provisions

• Prohibition on tethering a dog during specified times (10:00 p.m.–5:00 a.m.), in temperatures below 32°F without shelter, and during certain weather warnings, plus ban on choke/pinch/prong collars.
• Specific tethering and care requirements for tethered dogs (12-foot travel, tether length rules, weight limit, proper collar/harness, food/water/shelter with bedding) and the cruelty-to-animals penalty, with exemptions for hunting, camping areas, and temporary restraint; and a note about the local-funding constitutional provision.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Animals