Bill > SB867

This bill, known as the West Virginia Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, strengthens protections for animals exposed to extreme weather by defining specific requirements for animal shelter. For any dog, whether tethered or roaming free, the shelter must be a four-sided structure with a roof and a single opening, appropriately sized for the dog to enter and rest comfortably. It must be moisture-proof, windproof, ventilated, and promote heat retention, with a solid, raised floor and adequate, insulating bedding like hay or straw, excluding blankets that can freeze. The shelter and its surroundings must be clean, and each dog needs its own individual shelter. Confinement areas for dogs must provide approximately 100 square feet of floor space per dog over four months old, with the same shelter requirements. Crucially, dogs cannot be kept outside for more than 30 minutes during extreme weather events, including temperatures of 85 degrees Fahrenheit and above, freezing temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and below, or severe weather like thunderstorms, hail, high winds, ice, snowstorms, tornados, or floods. This provision does not apply to working dogs, provided an animal control or humane officer has inspected their circumstances and deemed them safe and well-equipped to tolerate their environment when not working.

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http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=867&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill