The grace period for New Brunswick’s month-old dog tethering law is about to end.
Owners are not allowed to leave their dogs chained up outside overnight between 11p.m. and 6a.m. and now anyone caught doing so could be charged instead of receiving a warning.
Since the beginning of December the province’s SPCA has received 79 complaints.
"We've been very surprised at the high degree of compliance we've been able to get from people,” says SPCA Executive Director Hilary Howes. ”Most people when we go in, when we educate them about how dangerous it is to their animal, they bring the animal in at night or get a better dog house."
The New Brunswick SPCA is complaint driven and they encourage anyone who sees a dog left outside overnight to call them directly and not the police.
"The dog’s health is our priority and if it's in jeopardy we are going to act," says Howes. “If we get repeat offenders, especially with this cold weather, we are going to be seeking charges."
It is still legal to leave your dog tied up outside during the day, as long as they have a warm dog house for the animal. Howe adds that potential charges all depend on the particular case.
With files from CTV’s Ashley Blackford
