Franklin County Animal Laws

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Franklin County Animal Laws

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Leash Law?

You bet! Any dog off a leash and not on the owners property is considered stray. Please gently remind your neighbors of this fact and offer to help them with containing their dog. Stray as defined by Franklin County is: "Any dog or cat that appears stray, homeless or unwanted, and any dog that is not displaying a valid rabies tag"

Microchipping and You

Microchips are a wonderful way to give your pets an additional form of ID. A collar and tag is your best method but should the collar or tag ever come off the microchip will help make sure your pet is reunited with you. If you are interested in getting your pet chipped please contact us for more info.

Franklin County Animal Welfare Laws

Are you familiar with Franklin County's Animal Control Laws? You may think you are but most residents really don't know the full extent of them. Below are the major points that would most likely affect you and your pets. Keep in mind that the SPCA is only providing these for informational purposes. If you have been involved with a rabies case, had an animal picked up by animal control, or other animal related dispute please contact Animal Control and/or your lawyer for more help. If you want to read the laws in their entirety you can download them as a PDF file. To open this file you must have the FREE program Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

Franklin County Animal Control Laws (PDF). (25 MB)

The most important parts of the law are:

You are not to harm in any way an animal in your care. This includes physical harm and neglect.

You must provide the basics for shelter: Housing protecting the animal from wind, rain, snow, ice and sun including extreme heat and cold; fresh water must be available at all times; food must be provided on a regular basis. Failure to do so is considered neglect.

It is not allowed for your dog to wander freely - meaning it should be on a leash at all times unless it is confined to a fenced in area on your property.

All animals in your care must have a current rabies vaccination and proof of that vaccination. The tag must be on the animal at all times. (Cats are exempt from wearing the tag but we do recommend some type of ID tag)

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Cruelty....

You see a dog in a backyard and it looks like it's starving.....

You see a horse in a field and you can see it's ribs....

The puppies you know your neighbor had all disappear overnight....

The cows on the farm next door have no shelter from the elements....

These are all examples of obvious cruelty and neglect. What are other types?

Not allowing herd animals companions, having more animals than there is physical space for, not removing animal waste from the animals living area are some of the more subtle types.

What do you do if you suspect cruelty or neglect? Take lots of photos while respecting property lines, document any known history of the animal involved, contact the SPCA of FC and Franklin County Animal Control for help.