§ 6-4. Animal safety.

(a)

Animals in vehicles. It shall be unlawful to leave an animal in a standing or parked vehicle without providing the animal with adequate air and protection from heat or cold. An animal left under such conditions may be impounded.

(b)

Tethered dogs. It shall be unlawful for an owner or harborer to allow a dog or other animal to be tethered to a stationary object or in a location so as to create an unhealthy situation for the animal or a potentially dangerous situation for a pedestrian as determined by the animal services manager. The term "unhealthy situation" shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1)

To tether any animal in such a manner as to cause the animal injury;

(2)

To tether any animal in such a manner as to not permit the animal access to shelter, food, or water. It shall be an affirmative defense to this subsection that the owner or harborer was in the same location as the dog or other animal while the animal was tethered;

(3)

To tether any animal in such a manner as to permit the animal to leave the premises owned, leased, or occupied by the dog's owner or harborer or to permit the animal access on any public right-of-way;

(4)

To tether any animal in such a manner as to permit the animal to leave the owner or harborer's property;

(5)

To allow any tethered animal to become entangled; or

(6)

To use choke type collars to tether any animal.

(Ord. No. 8597, § 1, 1-26-06; Ord. No. 8934, § 2, 4-4-08)

State law reference

Cruelty to animals and related offenses, V.T.C.A., Penal Code § 49.09 et seq.