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Apr 24, 2008 4:20 pm US/Central
FW Animal Control: Tethering Law Hard To Enforce
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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New state laws go into effect this Saturday and one could turn a common practice by dog owners into a crime. If you leave your dog chained up in the backyard, you'll soon be breaking the law.
CBS 11 News
Suzette Watkins runs a kennel in Fort Worth. While canine confinement is her job, she can't stand seeing dogs tethered on a chain.
"I saw this dog here that I know was chained, and then when I backed up, I saw more dogs," said Watkins. "It makes my blood boil."
She found the dog she was referring to near her kennel. It has deep scars around its neck from a chain. Whenever she sees something like this, Watkins said she calls animal control.
"These are companion animals," said Keane Menefee, Fort Worth Animal Control manager. "These animals are not meant to be chained up in the backyard and left like forgotten souls."
Animal control is swamped with calls reporting tethered animals. Since the law banning animal tethering began in February, they have received nearly 600 complaints. But there is only one code compliance officer.
"These investigations require multiple site visits to check for compliance," said Menefee. "Most of these animals don't have the proper vaccinations, don't have the proper licensing, aren't being fed properly."
Citing a study, city officials say dogs which are kept tied are nearly three times more likely to bite people than dogs which are not tied.
The city will begin a public awareness campaign in coming weeks. They hope to nudge dog owners toward finding more humane and legal ways of confining their dogs.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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