Gov. Abbott vetoes bipartisan anti dog-chain bill. Twitter responds with #AbbottHatesDogs. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/po...al-cruelty-bill-Twitter-responds-16262481.php Texans love their dogs, no doubt. But now, some Texans are calling out Gov. Greg Abbott, alleging that he does not. The Republican governor vetoed a bill Friday to expand animal cruelty laws and make the unlawful restraint of a dog a criminal offense. Senate Bill 474, better known as the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, would provide greater protections for dogs, including banning the use of heavy chains to tether dogs. Animal control officers, law enforcement agencies, county prosecutors and animal advocates called for reform to the existing tethering law passed nearly 15 years ago to prevent cruel and inhumane tethering. In the meantime, a number of cities, including Dallas, Galveston and Texas City, have taken matters into their own hands by adopting their own tethering ordinances. Some ban its use completely, while others place limits. In Houston, the restraint must be greater than 10 feet in length or five times the length of the dog and cannot cause injury or visible discomfort. The Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), a nonprofit that promotes anti-cruelty legislation and one of the ringleaders in efforts to pass the bill, said it would have provided "much-needed clarification to existing law to establish basic standards of outdoor shelter and restraint for dogs." The bill specifies that dog owners can have dogs outside but cannot restrain them with chains, short lines or anything that “causes pain or injury to the dog.” Owners would face up to a $500 penalty for a first offense class C misdemeanor with the bill's revision, and the penalty would jump to a class B misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail, for those previously cited. The bill receivedample bipartisan support in the Texas legislature,passing in the Senate 28-3 and the House 83-32, but died once it reached Abbott's desk. Abbott, who is a dog dad to a golden retriever, Pancake, sees nothing wrong with the current law and said state statutes already protect dogs by "outlawing true animal cruelty."
Animal control officers, law enforcement, prosecutors and advocates support the bill Many cities enacted similar legislation locally Bipartisan support in the legislature.. But Abbot decides... naaaaah fuck it.... I do whatever the fuck I want..
Well Biden has dogs (now down to one dog)... so hating dogs is what potential 2024 GOP Presidential candidates want to demonstrate.