Starting Tuesday, January 18, it will be illegal for Texas dog owners to restrain dogs using chains or heavy weighted restraints. S.B. 5, also known as the “Safe Outdoor Dogs Act,” also prohibits leaving dogs unattended outside without access to adequate shelter and requires dog restraints to be no shorter than ten feet, or five times the dog’s length. Restraining dogs using a running line, or pulley/trolley system is still permissible under the new law, as long as the restraint is longer than ten feet. Most of these changes are already reflected in the Lockhart City Ordinance.

  The Lockhart Police Department’s Animal Control officers will investigate all calls in violation of the new law. Violators will be charged with a Class C misdemeanor--in which one could be fined up to $500--in addition to any other applicable law, i.e., Cruelty to Non-Livestock, etc.

For more information or to report any animal-related violations, contact Animal Services at (512) 398-4401, ext. 2.