It’s a heartbreaking sight for pet lovers everywhere.
Helpless animals who are chained to buildings or homes in deplorable weather conditions are enough to make them angry. And it happens daily across Texas, according to the Texas Humane Legislation Network.
But a series of bills winding through the Texas Legislature could help end inhuman treatment of dogs across the state.
Senate Bill 295 would make it a criminal offense for owners to unlawfully restrain their dogs with chain leashes if they don’t provide adequate shelter for their animals, the Houston Chronicle reports.
According to the text of the Senate bill, “adequate shelter” means providing a clean and sturdy structure that allows the dog protection from rain, hail, sleet, snow and subfreezing temperatures.
SB 295 would also eliminate any use of chains to restrain a dog that is left outside and unattended.
Fox 26 Houston reports that the bill has passed the Texas Senate and is on its way to the Texas House. There, a companion bill would require a dog’s leash to be at least ten feet long or five times the length of the dog. The owner also would have to give the dog access to adequate shelter while leashed.
If the bill passes the House, Governor Greg Abbott must sign it before it becomes law.
And if it is passed, the bills would be enacted on Sept. 1, 2019.
