Q: Is it illegal to keep dogs in a fenced yard or big pen outside in maryland?
I'm moving to southern maryland from texas and have 2 dogs. I have 2 10' ×10' pens put together that they stay in now and someone told me it was illegal to keep them in a pen outside 24/7.
A:
You likely want to check the specific county code and/or call animal control in the particular county (and/or town)
For example, in Anne Arundel County, pursuant to Article 12, Title 4, dogs in this county can be legally outside if the owner provides adequate shelter to protect the dog from the wind, snow, rain, cold, and sun, plus water at all times and appropriate food. Anne Arundel County further prevents tethering a dog when temperatures are very cold (at/below freezing) or very hot (90 degrees or hotter).
The county might set additional rules related to the minimum size of a fenced area (e.g., a smaller dog might require a minimum of 100 square feet of space, larger dog 150 square feet of space, etc.) - since this varies from place to place in Maryland you'd definitely want to research the specific location.
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