City Passes Ordinance Over Tying Up Dogs
http://blogs.galvnews.com
March 13, 2007, TEXAS CITY, TEXAS — That shady spot you tied Rover to in the morning could be blazing hot by the afternoon. That could make him mad, and that could make him attack. And that’s what Texas City officials are trying to prevent.
A new city ordinance approved last week prohibits dogs from being tied up to stationary objects. It also requires dog owners leaving their pets outside to have at least 150 square feet of space that’s fenced for the dogs to roam.
The change is an attempt to cut down vicious dog attacks in the city, which are often caused when dogs are chained up for long periods of time, director of community development George Fuller said. Right now, the city has about one attack a month, he said.
Fuller, who authored the ordinance that city commissioners approved Wednesday, said he’s always thought tying up dogs was humane. But it wasn’t until he saw a recent study that linked confined canines to attacks that he wanted to make the practice illegal.
“It tends to give them a fight or flight syndrome,” he said. “They get aggressive. And if they get loose, they get aggressive with whatever they come across.”
That study shows that chained dogs become unhappy, anxious, neurotic and aggressive. Their necks can become covered with sores from the collar.
Fuller said overhead cables that keep dogs in the yard or electric fences are still allowed.
“We understand that some dogs are hard to keep in the fence,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s horrible the way some of them are being treated.”
Violators would face fees assessed by a municipal judge, which can be up to $2,000.
Fuller said that so far, a few residents have called to complain about the ordinance, but more have thanked the city for it and are already complying with the new rule.
Kim Schoolcraft, the manager of animal services in Texas City, said awareness about dangerous dogs has been growing after recent attacks. This is one thing the city can do, she said. “When you look at the problem, one of the things that causes them to be more aggressive is tying them up,” she said. “It becomes antisocial and territorial.”
Texas City already has provisions to fine people who own dogs that run lose in the city.
The law takes effect May 6.
DOG ATTACK FACTS
• Between 1979 and 1998, 17 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans were restrained on the owners’ property during the attack
• Of the 33 people who died because of a dog attack between 1999 and 2001, 24 of the victims were less than 12 years old.
Source: U.S. Humane Society
