Should NC pass a law to protect outdoor pets from extreme weather?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The bill bars dogs or cats from tethering outdoors in weather above 85°F and below 32°F.
- The bill would require outdoor animals to have shelter, food, water, exercise and care.
- The bill was introduced in April 2025 and has bipartisan support.
A proposal to regulate how owners care for their pets that live outside, aimed at protecting them from harsh weather conditions, has bipartisan support but has languished in the state legislature.
Duke’s Rescue Act, or House Bill 657, would create regulations on how pet owners provide for their dogs or cats that live outside and bars them from staying outdoors in extreme heat and cold. Supporters say it’s especially important in places with no local regulations.
The bill is inspired by Duke, a pit bull from Bertie County that was constantly kept on a chain outdoors, no matter the season. He was rescued only after another dog on the property he lived on starved to death, allowing PETA to step in.
Rachel Bellis, director of local affairs in PETA’s Cruelty Investigations Department, said that the bill will give law enforcement “more teeth” when trying to protect animals from abuse.
“The dogs in North Carolina need this bill,” Bellis said. “We know that it’s very important to North Carolinians that legislators and the legislature take animal welfare seriously.”
The bill would require that animals have adequate space and be provided proper shelter, food and water, exercise and veterinary care. Animals’ shelter must also be cleaned and should protect them from harmful elements of extreme weather. The bill would also require that animals not be in heat above 85 degrees and below 32 degrees.
“It’s really just basic, common sense language to bring the state statute up-to-date to be in comparison to what other states are doing as far as protections for dogs who are kept outside 24/7,” Bellis said.
If a pet is tethered, the rope or chain must be at least four times the length of the animal and provide freedom of movement.
Tethering laws can vary by region because local governments bear the responsibility of creating tethering ordinances. Durham County established a tethering ordinance in 2008, with a push from advocacy group Beyond Fences (formerly known as The Coalition to Unchain Dogs). In the county, it is illegal for residents to tether a dog unsupervised in an open yard. In Raleigh, dogs can only be tethered for up to three hours in a 24-hour period with or without supervision.
Duke’s Rescue Act would a set a statewide standard.
Members of PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, gathered to advocate to lawmakers and their staff on Halifax Mall near the Legislative Building. They also brought rescue dogs.
Bellis said that members of PETA’s field work program go into underserved communities in North Carolina and find dogs that lack necessities daily.
Paula Burke, who works for nonprofit pet rescue Paws of Hertford County, said that the state needs this legislation because it’s too difficult to count on pet owners to care for their pets properly.
“We will keep going until it’s passed. We’re not gonna stop,” Bellis said.
The bill was introduced more than a year ago, in April 2025, and has yet to receive approval by the Wildlife Resources House Committee. Though the bill hasn’t moved forward, Bellis said that she is hopeful that it will pass this legislative session.
If the bill becomes law, violators would be charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor.
