Tethering ordinance for North Texas!

Tethering ordinance spurs dog owner debate



[size=-1]08:51 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 31, 2007

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[size=-1]By SHELLY SLATER / WFAA-TV[/size]



IRVING - A tethering ordinance has led to a heated debate between dog owners in the city of Irving.

The city is expected to pass the ordinance Thursday, which would make it a misdemeanor for owners to leaver their dogs tethered anywhere without supervision.

"It will prevent animals from spending their lives on chains," said Fred Sanderson, with Irving Animal Services, which supports the ordinance.

Whether the dog is in the front yard, back yard or in a park, the ordinance says the dog shouldn't be tied up without an owner present.

"It's very liberal and very progressive," Sanderson said.

Sanderson said he is an advocate of the ordinance since he said

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that animals that are chained up are three times more likely to bite someone than those unchained.

"I think it's positive because there are a lot of kids unattended that come through, and kids tend to go up to animals they don't understand are not all friendly," said a resident for the ordinance.

However, not everyone agrees with the tether rule.

"You can't let them run loose, so what can you do?" said Johanna Drury, who said the ordinance is too strict. "...I can see not leaving them out there all day and all night, but for a little while, I don't see what it hurts."

Once the ordinance is passed, the first time a dog is spotted tethered with no owner in sight, its owner will receive a warning. If there is a second time, the owner will then be issued a fine ranging from a few bucks to $2,000.

"After we've notified you and you don't correct it, we write Class C misdemeanor tickets," Sanderson said.

With money on the line, animal control expects 95 percent of Irving residents to comply without ever being questioned. The ordinance also says dog leashes cannot reach the sidewalk.

Grand Prairie already has a similar ordinance on the books. There you can leave your dog tethered three hours, but no longer.

Other North Texas communities are also considering a similar ban on tethers.

 

One of the AR people I used to volunteer with lives in Irving. I have no doubt she has worked very hard to get this ordinance passed. :rolleyes: :mad:

 

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I have a teathering law in my city and I hate it, but my fence is to tall and too thick for anyone to be snooping around and seeing my dog on his chain. So kiss my PHA-TOOOTY stupid people!!! No one can see and it's on my property and my dog isn't digging under my fence and getting out, like my nieghbors stupid Lab who one day might just get under my fence and meet his end. I hate that dog he barks all day and all night......UGH!!!!! I agree with Sims.........

 

Honestly, what do they expect you to do with your dog if you have to go to work? Let him run loose? If they want to put up stats about dog bites why don't they point out how many dog attacks are by dogs that are "at large"...I mean honestly, what are your options? Crating all day? My dog's can't stand to be crated 8 minutes much less 8hrs. Thats cruelty. My dogs are on 15ft chains with shade and water during the day. That's a thirty foot diameter circle. Thats bigger than just about any kenel I've ever seen and my dogs are safely contained. This is so irational. I would expect this in NYC or San Francisco, but I never would expect this type of facism in the name of animal rights in Texas.

 

I'm realy busy this time of year. I'm looking for simular cities in North Texas that are considering tethering ordinances. Anyway's I dont have time to go through all this info...ughh!
If we can filter through this info and get the time and dates up....we might get organized enough to oppose these folks.
http://www.clasp-fw.org/links.html

 

Its no more cruelty than anything else, and a lot of people try to maximize the dog's comfort in any way they can. Don't turn around and make it look like others are doing wrong just because you don't do it yourself. That really makes it no better of an argument than the one we're talking about. After all, I don't chain, but I still support your right to do it for your own dogs. Let's just call it what it is. Its an issue of people not being able to make their own choices for their dogs. If I crate and you chain, it shouldn't make any difference to the guvmint if in both situations the dogs are cared for.

 

I didn't mean to imply that it would be cruel for anyone to crate. I know someone who has one of my pups and he is crated and likes it just fine. I just meant it would be cruel for me to crate my dogs since they're not used to it. But you're absolutely right, it's not the governments business either way, as long as they are cared for.

 

Okay. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Anyway, I'm fully against laws like these. Dog ownership is not, and should not be considered a one-size-fits-all situation. People believe that if chaining is banned, all the dogs are going to come inside and lounge peacefully by the fireplace. I forsee the opposite, and that's more dogs running loose in the street when their owners can't afford to build kennels or super-fences for their escape-artist dogs.

 

http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_310220147.html

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Nov 6, 2007 8:55 pm US/Central

FW Resident Wants Law Against Tethering Dogs

(CBS 11 News) FORT WORTH A Fort Worth kennel owner thinks her east Fort Worth neighborhood has gone to the dogs.

Suzette Watkins said there are too many stray dogs running the streets, and too many others are tethered outside without food or water.

Watkins wants the City of Fort Worth to adopt an animal ordinance modeled after the law in Irving. The City of Irving's ordinance bans the tethering of unattended dogs under any circumstance.

"The City of Fort Worth needs to adopt a stricter ordinance," she said. She described photos she took of some dogs around Fort Worth. "This is a starving pit bull, that has babies, running loose in a neighborhood. It's horrible."

"What may be optimum for Irving and what may be optimum for Austin may not be work for the City of Fort Worth," said Dave Fulbright with Fort Worth Animal Control.

The City of Fort Worth said 25,529 animals were brought to the shelter this year. That number is 2,273 more than last year. There are only seven animal control officers.

"It's not easy. It's a very difficult job," said Fulbright.

Fort Worth Animal Control officials said they are in the early stages of creating a tougher law. It will then be presented to city council, but it could take years before any law is enacted.

 

check out the video on the link. yup, loose pitbull dogs:mad:

 

Kinda depends on the dog. My 13 year old female had never been crated until this past summer. She had never even been in a crate. When I put her in a large crate, 42 inch which is very large for her, also a very thick dog bed her reaction was OMG I love this. She will ask to go into her crate all the time. She loves it.

 

Bottom line: responsible owners. Whether you chain, crate..whatever you do, make sure you do it responsibly. If you can't, then don't own a dog.

that video showed a chihuahua on a chain outside too