(Photo courtesy of Public Domain Images - CC BY 2.0)

Phoenix City Council members unanimously approved a new ordinance designed to protect dogs. It prohibits what's often called 'tethering,' or restraining a dog to a stationary object and leaving it unattended.

Starting next month, it will be illegal to restrain a dog with less than ten feet of movement and no access to shade, food or water. It also prohibits dogs from being restrained outdoors when temperatures top 100 degrees or drop below 32 degrees. First-time offenders will be fined. 

Tethering does not include using a leash while walking a dog or temporary restraining when the owner is present.

Here's the specific language of the ordinance approved during Wednesday's council meeting:

1. No restraint may unreasonably limit the dog's movement. "Unreasonably limit the dog's movement" is defined as a restraint that:

a. Uses a collar that is not properly fitted to the dog;

b. Is in length shorter than 10 feet;

c. Places the dog in unsafe or unsanitary conditions;

d. Causes injury to the dog; or

e. Does not permit the dog access to food, water, shade, dry ground, or shelter.

2. No dog may be restrained during extreme weather conditions. "Extreme weather conditions" are defined as:

a. Outdoor temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit;

b. Anytime a heat advisory has been issued by a local, state, or national authority for the area; or

c. A monsoon, hurricane, tropical-storm, dust-storm, or tornado warning has been issued for the area by a local, state, or national authority.

d. A first offense is cited as a civil violation. A subsequent offense is cited as a Class 1 Misdemeanor.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect an amendment to the original ordinance language.