SHELTER

14-27. Definitions.

“Shelter, minimally defined, means a three-sided roofed and floored structure that is a secure weather resistant structure which protects an animal from exposure to the elements including but not limited to, rain, cold, wind and heat, and in size is a minimum of six (6) inches higher than the animal’s height at full stand with head erect, one and one-half (1 ½) the animal’s full body length, and sufficient in width to permit the animal to turn around.”

Do you ever keep your house dog outdoors? Or is your dog an outside yard dog? If so, you should know that Florida law and local ordinances require you to supply your dog with adequate shelter whenever he is kept outside. Chaining a dog to a tree, even in the shade, is no substitute for shelter. Failure to provide shelter is cruelty to animals! So, please, be considerate of your animal friend and provide a dog house to protect him from the sun, excessive heat, cold, and those sudden storms so common to the State of Florida.

P.S. Don’t forget to give your pet free access to plenty of fresh water whenever outdoors. It gets very hot wearing a fur coat all day! A dog can easily suffer a heat stroke and possibly die if denied water to cool his system. Make sure the water bowl is large enough and cannot be knocked over so your dog will have water available all day long.