Should Michigan Make It Illegal To Tether A Dog Outside During Extreme Weather?

ABC12 reported on a story that Virginia is trying to pass legislation that would make it illegal for your pets to be tied up outside during certain weather conditions;  Creating a good question, is this something Michigan should look to adopt?

This is one of a few animal welfare bills currently being presented in the Virginia Capitol, but essentially, HB646, which was introduced by the House Of Delegates would make it illegal to tie or tether as the bill is written, your dog outside if the temps are below 32 degrees in the winter or above 85 degrees in the summer. It would also regulate weight and length of the tether as well.

According to the ABC12 story, Kimberly Hawk, an animal rights activist in Virginia explained why this bill is necessary

"Currently, we don't have any protections in place for these dogs," she said. "Dogs are our companion animals now, and they've evolved over time to not be able to survive these extreme temperatures."

If HB646 makes it to the Virginia governor’s desk and is signed into law, other states may also look at similar legislation, especially in the northern states that see such extreme cold temperatures.