It's common to leave your dog at home alone while you go to work, run errands, see a movie or just get away for a while.

But is it legal in Florida? At what point does Florida law consider it animal cruelty?

Here's what to know before you head out the door.

Florida statutes prohibit any animal owner from leaving them confined without enough "good and wholesome food and water" or keeping them in an enclosure without exercise and fresh air, but the state doesn't establish a time limit.

However, your local city or county ordinances, many of which go into much greater detail on animal abuse, might. Many of them restrict pet owners from depriving their animals, whether by neglect or refusal, from having enough food and water of sufficient quality to meet their minimal daily requirements or from leaving them in too small or too dirty enclosures.

Pasco County specifies that animals may not be left alone longer than 24 hours unless the owner has arranged for someone else to provide food and water and monitor their condition on a scheduled basis.

That's leaving your pet at home. It is a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida law to abandon an animal in a public place without providing for its care, sustenance, protection, and shelter, punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 or jail time up to a year, or both.

There may also be other restrictions. Homeowners associations may not have rules about leaving your dog alone, but they often have rules against barking time limits and "quiet hours." And pet-friendly motels and hotels likely have rules against leaving a dog alone in the room.

Florida law also does not prohibit tethering, or temporarily restraining an animal to an object or structure outside with a cable, chain, cord, or running line, with one notable exception (see below).

Again, check your local ordinances.

In recent years, more cities and counties in Florida have been banning or restricting tethering.

Some, like Lee County, ban it outright, while others may restrict it to only when the animal is within sight of the responsible person and visible to that person at all times. Some locations, such as Volusia County, also ban the use of heavy chains or tethers that extend over an object or edge where the animal could be injured, entangled or strangled.

Some areas may limit the time of day tethering is allowed, to prevent dog owners from leaving dogs tied up outside while they go to work. Orange County bans tethering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

You can check your local ordinances at library.municode.com/fl, or call the non-emergency line of your local police department or sheriff's office and ask.

Last year, Florida passed "Trooper's Law," making restraining and abandoning pets during a natural disaster a third-degree felony.

The bill was named after Trooper, a beloved bull terrier that went viral in 2024 after a Florida state trooper rescued it from where it had been left on the side of Interstate 75 as Category 4 Hurricane Milton approached Florida.

Under Trooper's Law, anyone who restrains a dog outside during a natural disaster and then abandons the dog may be charged with a third-degree felony punishable by jail time of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Do Florida's animal cruelty laws mean you can't leave your dog alone?