Updated Ordinance Outlaws Tethering Dogs In Dallas

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Starting February 1st, it's no longer an option for Dallas pet owners to tie their animals up and leave them unattended in their yard.

If they do, the city will ticket them.

Owners must now accompany the animal at all times and provide it with potable water and shelter.

"It's really not a great stimulating life for a dog to be on a chain. They don't have a lot of room to move and they don't get a lot of interaction. We really encourage dogs to be living inside," Gabi Vannini from Dallas Animal Services said.

An owner is in violation of the ordinance if he or she allows the dog to become entangled or injured in the tethering device, does not use the proper collar or harness for the dog in question or attaches the tethering device directly to the dog's neck instead of a proper harness or collar.

The code resulted from ongoing Dallas Animal Services efforts, which was part of a task force working to ban tethering for some time.