An Assessment of Dog Related City Ordinances in the State of Texas for Health and Safety

Date

2015-05

Authors

Wiora, Sheila

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Abstract

There are nearly 27 million people in the state of Texas, and the American Veterinary Association estimate, that 44% of all households in Texas have dogs. With so many dogs in our communities, it is essential to keep them safe as well as their human counterparts. This Applied Research Project describes and assesses dog-related city ordinances in Texas for health and safety. Content analysis of a sample of for 44 municipal animal ordinances was used to obtain information on ensuring health, ensuring safety, dog threats, and breed-specific restrictions. The results indicate most cities have a strong ordinance with regards to the rabies vaccination protocol, leash laws, and dangerous/vicious dogs. There are, however, areas in the ordinances where many cities are lacking. These areas include fecal matter requirements, anti-chaining requirements, and the mandatory sterilization of dangerous and vicious dogs. It is important for ordinances to be beneficial for everyone in the community. City administrators who are interested in reviewing and amending their animal ordinances should consider utilizing this research for improving their processes and procedures to create and implement animal ordinances.

Description

An Applied Research Project Submitted to the Department of Political Science, Texas State University, in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration, Spring 2015.

Keywords

animal ordinance, breed restrictions, animal control, dogs, Public Administration

Citation

Wiora, S. (2015). An assessment of dog related city ordinances in the State of Texas for health and safety. Masters of Public Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

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