The City of Fort Worth passes ban on chaining and tethering dogs

by PegNews wire

Photo not provided by the Fort Worth City Council

Studies show tethered dogs are more aggressive than free ones. Note the beady eyes and evil grin on this tethered canine. Poor Tom and Jerry look like they're about to wet their pants. If they wore pants, they would be wetting them in T minus 2 seconds.

The Fort Worth City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday banning dog tethering. The new ordinance, which becomes effective this week, makes it illegal to use a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable or other device to attach an unattended dog to a stationary object or trolley system. A dog still must be confined within a secure enclosure at all times.

This new ordinance is partly due to a new state law passed in 2007, which allows tethering during certain time frames, under certain circumstances and using certain types of restraints.

"There is evidence that tethering dogs makes them more dangerous," said Assistant Public Health Director Scott Hanlan. "Unfortunately, our animal control officers encounter on a daily basis tethered dogs that are neglected and left without food, water or shelter."

One study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that animals that are kept roped or chained are 2.8 times more likely to bite people than dogs not kept roped or chained. In addition, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends never tethering or chaining a dog, because it can contribute to aggressive behavior. Anti-tethering campaigns are also endorsed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Humane Society of the United States.

Under the new ordinance, the tethering of dogs will still be allowed under limited circumstances when the owner is present. The exceptions include a lawful animal event, city dog park, veterinary treatment, grooming, training or law enforcement activity.

Those who violate the new ordinance could face a fine as high as $2,000. However, Animal Care and Control staff emphasize that they will work with residents to educate them on this new law. Staff members also will provide residents with information on low-cost, more humane ways to restrain dogs before issuing citations for violations that don't pose immediate threats to people or animals.

The issue of chained-up dogs is one element in the larger problem of irresponsible pet ownership faced not only by Fort Worth but by communities across the United States. Fort Worth animal control officers impounded 25,500 animals last year. Unfortunately, about 70 percent of those animals never made it out of the shelter alive.

For more information, call the Animal Care and Control Division at 817-392-3737.

Source: The City of Fort Worth

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Cary Birdwell, says:

Bravo for Ft. Worth. Everything in this article is true. Chaining dogs is detrimental to their health and well being, and creates a public health threat as they are more likely to bite, live in unsanitary conditions, and are usually not vaccinated or sterilized. If people were more responsible with their pets we could use the money spent on animal control and care on social programs that benefit everyone instead of policing people who neglect or abuse defenseless animals. Thanks for this article.

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4littlebear, says:

Now if we could just get the City of Fort Worth Animal Control and the Fort Worth Police Department to enforce this new law, let alone the ones already in place. I recently reported a dog chained without food or water in my neighborhood in the hot upper ninety degree temperatures. The calls to Animal Control and the Police Department were in effect ignored (4 calls to Animal Control and 2 to the Police Department) The second call to the Police prompted a visit from an officer who talked to the woman and looked the other way. The dog was starved and had sarcoptic mange so severe it had hardly any hair on it's body. The woman's remedy for the crying dog was to turn in out on the street. I saw the dog five days AFTER I had made the calls. Kudos for the Humane Society of North Texas for being persistent and capturing the dog... who was in such terrible condition the only option was to humanely euthanize him. Shame on the City of Fort Worth for giving the owner of the dog a little slap on the wrist.