New Irving Ordinance Bans Unattended Tethered Dogs
The Irving City Council passed a new ordinance, which allows Irving Animal Services to take a stronger, more proactive approach to animal safety.
The ordinance, which became effective Nov. 1, prohibits pet owners from keeping unattended dogs tied up. Responsible pet owners who maintain direct physical control will be allowed to tether their dogs.
This means the owner must be outside with the dog and near enough to exercise control over the dog at all times in the event it should become necessary to protect an animal or human from harm.
“It’s not humane for a dog to spend its life chained up,” said Fred Sanderson, Irving Animal Services supervisor. “Dogs are naturally social animals and need interaction. Tethered dogs left unattended become aggressive and territorial and are more likely to attack a person or animal.”
Research by agencies such as the Humane Society of the United States indicates that irresponsible animal tethering can result in physical abuse and cause aggressive behavior or harm to others. Good alternatives to tethering are for pet owners to keep their dog in a fenced yard or kennel run.
With the approval of this ordinance, Irving now holds the most firm and humane standards for pet owners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The development of an informational campaign has been initiated to educate residents of the new ordinance.
Fines for those who do not adhere to the ordinance will not go into effect until Jan. 1 as long as abusive conditions do not exist. This will allow sufficient time for public education outreach. Beginning Jan. 1, those in violation of the ordinance, a Class C misdemeanor, may receive fines of $100 to $500 per animal, per occurrence. The maximum fine can cost up to $2,000.
For more information, call Irving Animal Services at (972) 721-2256.