City Officials to Discuss Animal Restraint Ordinance
By: Melissa Foy
Updated: January 22, 2013
Could chaining animals in the Wichita Falls city limits soon become illegal?
That is one option city leaders may consider as an alternative to the difficult-to-enforce current animal restraint ordinance.
The current ordinance follows the Texas Health and Safety Code.
Lou Kreidler, director of the Wichita County Health Department, says, "It allows for an animal to be chained for up to three hours during the day and it doesn't allow them to be chained between 10 at night and six in the morning."
But, Kreidler says, that's almost impossible to enforce because an animal control officer would have to watch the animal for more than three hours just to prove that the animal's owner violated the ordinance.
Enforcement of the nighttime ban is impossible because there aren't animal control officers on duty between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Kreidler will present three options to councilors: keep the current ordinance as it is, ban chaining animals outdoors at any time, or revise the ordinance and allow the chaining of animals only when the owner is in the presence of the animal.
Councilors plan to discuss the options at an upcoming council meeting.
That is one option city leaders may consider as an alternative to the difficult-to-enforce current animal restraint ordinance.
The current ordinance follows the Texas Health and Safety Code.
Lou Kreidler, director of the Wichita County Health Department, says, "It allows for an animal to be chained for up to three hours during the day and it doesn't allow them to be chained between 10 at night and six in the morning."
But, Kreidler says, that's almost impossible to enforce because an animal control officer would have to watch the animal for more than three hours just to prove that the animal's owner violated the ordinance.
Enforcement of the nighttime ban is impossible because there aren't animal control officers on duty between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Kreidler will present three options to councilors: keep the current ordinance as it is, ban chaining animals outdoors at any time, or revise the ordinance and allow the chaining of animals only when the owner is in the presence of the animal.
Councilors plan to discuss the options at an upcoming council meeting.
