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Previously vetoed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act has found its way to the agenda of the upcoming third special session of the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 474 relates "to the unlawful restraint of a dog; creating a criminal offense." In a bit of irony, Abbott, proud father to canines Peaches and Pancakes, vetoed the measure after it garnered approval from both chambers, asserting it infringed on the rights of "man's best friend."
"So much appreciation to the Fort Bend pet owners and advocates throughout the state who want to protect our furry friends from cruelty," Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George said in a post to his Twitter account on Sept. 9. "It is because of you that this item got added to the Special Session after the Governor's veto."
Abbott explained his reasoning in a veto message.
“Texans love their dogs, so it is no surprise that our statutes already protect them by outlawing true animal cruelty," Abbott said in the Texas Tribune. "Yet Senate Bill 474 would compel every dog owner, on pain of criminal penalties, to monitor things like the tailoring of the dog’s collar, the time the dog spends in the bed of a truck and the ratio of tether-to-dog length, as measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. Texas is no place for this kind of micro-managing and over-criminalization.”
Abbott's veto united Texas Republicans and Democrats in anger, prompting the social media hashtag #AbbottHatesDogs to go viral. The law would have mandated that dogs restrained outside must be provided with "adequate shelter," potable water and must not be near standing water, according to the Texas Tribune. According to KLBK News, Abbott has requested that a new version of the bill be drafted that corrects the concerns he expressed in his veto statement.