Beginning today, tethering or leaving animals for long periods of time may lead pet owners confined to their own restriction - jail.

A maximum misdemeanor penalty of six months behind bars and up to $3,000 could face anyone who tethers a dog to a stationary object for longer than three hours, according to a new state law that adds legal protections for pets.

The law is one of hundreds facing California citizens in 2007.

And leaving them unattended in vehicles under extreme weather conditions and without food and water is now also a crime. In the summer months, Tahoe averages about three complaints a week on this type of instance.

"It's an additional tool for us to address these problems," said Lt. Robert Gerat, Tahoe's El Dorado County animal control supervisor.

Gerat added the expanding animal control facility in Meyers also answers a foot calls a month on animals tethered to posts or other objects.

"That's a tough one. I've seen them hanging over the neighbor's fence," he said. "Often times, they get caught up and can't get to their doghouses."

Gerat said his unit tries to use education first if the staff responds to a first-time offender. But he also advocates having an added level of enforcement on calls where there are repeat visits. In 2007, animal control officers may write citations that may come with a fine of up to $1,000.

Hans Uthe, who works in Tahoe's district attorney's office, said the jail time represents the biggest difference to the animal cruelty laws. He urges using common sense.

"Leaving a window cracked in 25-degree temperatures might not be a good idea. But 75 degrees is a very big deal," Uthe said.

Rich Hodge, who serves with the South Shore's Animal Coalition of Tahoe, said the group wants to provide more education with circumstances like these as a long-term goal. And in that respect, he believes efforts made would benefit the community.

"I think tougher penalties are great since animal cruelty is usually a direct reflection of how we treat each other," Hodge said as a citizen.



Taking care of the animals

Another law that goes into effect requires government jurisdictions adopt an evacuation plan for animals, a law spawned from pets left in miserable conditions after Hurricane Katrina. El Dorado County has complied.



-The Associated Press and Sierra Sun contributed to this report.



Keeping animals in vehicles during extreme weather conditions also illegal

SB1578 Tethering prohibition

This bill, with specified exceptions, would prohibit a person from tethering, fastening, chaining, tying or restraining a dog to a doghouse, tree, fence or other stationary object.



Other new California laws

-- Emissions: makes the state the first to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, oil refineries and other industries to cut the smokestack pollution by 25 percent by 2020.

-- Minimum wage: California's 1.4 million minimum wage earners will get their first raise in five years. The wage rate, now $6.75 an hour, will climb to $7.50.

-- Cable TV: Telephone companies may break into California's $5.3 billion-a-year cable television business by obtaining state franchises instead of negotiating with cities such as Charter Communications' arrangement with South Lake Tahoe.

-- Domestic partners: unmarried couples may file a joint return.

-- Drug discounts: A program will be established to provide low-cost prescription drugs for about 5 million uninsured or underinsured Californians.

-- Cigarettes: Another new statute will require that California merchants sell only so-called fire-safe cigarettes after they've depleted supplies bought before Jan. 1.

-- Infrastructure: More than $80 billion in new state debt as a result of seven propositions - 1B through 1E, 83 and 84 - will be added to repair a fractured state infrastructure.

-- Military: Troops from that state stationed abroad can vote by FAX and marry by proxy. And the California Department of Motor Vehicles is waiving vehicle registration late fees for members of the armed forces or National Guard



Other notable new laws in other states

-- Crime: Michigan residents can sign up for e-mail notification of when a registered sex offender moves into their zip code.

-- Servitude: Peonage, or holding a person in a condition of involuntary servitude for the repayment of debts, will be a misdemeanor.

-- Ethics: Lobbyists in North Carolina will be required to file monthly, or quarterly, reports on the amount of money they are spending to lobby the legislature. In addition, legislators can sign up on a "no-gift registry," basically telling lobbyists and clients they don't wish to receive gifts or free meals.

-- Bullies: South Carolina will require every school district to expand anti-bullying policies to protect students not just from physical harm, but also from cell-phone and e-mail harassment.

-- Judges: Pistol-packing judges in Kansas will be able to carry concealed weapons into their courtrooms.



Source for other state laws: Stateline.org/National Conference of State Legislatures.