Animal advocates feel blindsided after governor vetoes bill to expand animal cruelty laws
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All those who fought for Senate Bill 474, which is known as the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, say they can’t believe Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to veto it.
"We are at a loss for words," said Shelby Bobosky Executive Director of Texas Humane Legislation Network. "The governor's team never weighed in on this bill one way or the other so quite frankly we feel blind-sighted."
"Shocked absolutely shocked…I felt like somebody punched me in the stomach," said Tama Lundquist co-founder of Houston PetSet. "The state needs it, Houston needs it. We had law enforcement behind this we had both houses behind this lots of support statewide we don’t know what happened."
The bill would require dogs left outside have adequate shelter food and water.
It would have actually given a definition for adequate shelter and it would have clarified what a proper tether is," Bobosky said. "It would have also removed a 24-hour warning that is currently in the law."
The last animal cruelty law was passed in 2007; it’s been described as vague and difficult to enforce,
"There has never been a ticket written on the 2007 law," said Bobosky.
But now the governor is calling Senate Bill 474 micro-managing and he says Texas is no place for this kind of over-criminalization.
Many dogs died in the last winter's Arctic Blast.
If you would like to share your thoughts with the governor, you may reach out to his office by clicking HERE or calling 512-463-1800 or 512-463-2000