New Law in Texas Town

I have really mixed feelings about this--tethering my dog outside while I drive down to the school 2.5 miles away to pick up the kid and then immediately return seems sensible--she gets outside, does her business, can roam the entire front yard and yet is calm. She's not inclined to try to dig under any fences, as she is when left in the back yard for more than 10 seconds. It drives me crazy when these laws are driven by one or two people because of what their kid did. I'm open to a different viewpoint, however.

Irving council OKs ban on unattended, tethered dogs

Owners of unattended, chained pets to receive Class C misdemeanors


12:00 AM CDT on Friday, November 2, 2007
By BRANDON FORMBY
The Dallas Morning News

The Irving City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Thursday night that bans tethering unattended dogs any time, any place. The new city law is believed to be the first of its kind in North Texas.

Irving's ordinance goes beyond a state law that went into effect in September that limits the time dog owners can tether their pets to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

"We've chosen as a community to make ours a little stricter," said Fred Sanderson, Irving's animal services manager.

Mr. Sanderson said the law is aligned with a growing national movement of dog lovers and lawmakers who believe tethering dogs can make them more aggressive.

Dale and Kristi McKenzie, whose 8-year-old son, Shane, was attacked by a tethered dog in March, were among a dozen residents who supported the ordinance. Shane has undergone eight surgeries to repair his carotid artery after a tethered Akita mix jumped him when he went into its yard to retrieve a basketball.