Chaining Animals Can Impact Dogs

This all came about when members of a local animal advisory committee started looking at the issue of dogs being chained.

So now, they're looking at making changes to the current ordinance, which health officials say is unenforceable and can actually turn a good dog into a bad one.

It's not difficult to find dogs chained in Wichita Falls yards even if the yard has a fence but it's something a city ordinance only allows up to 3 hours during the day and prohibits between 10 p.m and 6 a.m.

Animal Control doesn't have the manpower to enforce those laws so officials with the health district came up with some options that can be enforced because they say over time, chaining can cause a dog to become bad to the bone.

"Dogs that are chained are less socialized than animals that are not chained so, the tend to be more aggressive," says Lou Kreidler, director of the Wichita County Health Department.

But animal advocates say that's not the only impact.

"They can feel threatened and insecure when chained and rarely receive adequate care such as vet care or human interaction. They're exposed to the elements such as extreme heat and cold. They can get tangled in their chain and harm themselves and they can't get to their adequate shelter, such as a dog house, if it's raining or snowing," explains Kelly Bryan, a member of Texas Pit Crew.

Lou Kreidle plans to present city councilors with three options to regarding the animal restraint ordinance.

The first option is to keep the current ordinance as it is.

The second is to ban the chaining of animals outside at any time.

And the third is to revise the ordinance and allow the chaining of pets only when the owner is in the presence of the animal.

And Kreidler will present these options for city leaders to discuss at their next Wichita Falls City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 5th.