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New bill on taking care of outside dogs heading to Gov. Abbott's desk

The Director of Government Relations for the Texas Humane Legislation Network says for years they’ve been pushing for stricter laws when it comes to pet shelter.

SAN ANTONIO — After being vetoed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year, Senate Bill 5, also known as the safe outdoors act, is heading back to his desk.

“It’s cleaning up a section of the current Texas health and safety code to make it more clear what pet owners need to do in order to keep their dog safe when they are restrained outdoors, unattended,” Director of Government Relations for the Texas Humane Legislation Network Stacy Sutton Kirby said.

Kirby says for years they’ve been pushing for stricter laws when it comes to pet shelter and safety.

“Under the part that defines how you can restrain a dog unattended outdoors, there wasn’t a provision that defined adequate shelter,” Kirby said.

She says there also wasn’t a requirement to give a dog access to drinkable water. Once the bill is signed into law, things will change.

Some of the big changes include giving a dog access to adequate shelter that protects them during extreme weather events, giving a dog access to clean drinkable water, having a properly fitted collar on your dog, and if a dog is restrained, it needs to be done safely.

“When the governor signs the bill and it becomes law, this is going to bring change for thousands of dogs across Texas,” Kirby said.

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