Fort Worth residents: What you need to know.

For those of you who live in the City of Fort Worth, I wanted to pass on info about the new animal control ordinance. I have written a complete article here.

Bulldog people – please pay particular attention to:
1) Fence requirements are now 4 feet high and constructed of solid materials — seriously, people with Bulldogs should have done this anyway. Remember dog theft is a huge problem too.

2) Fort Worth has had a tethering ban for some time. Previously a violation was just a citation. Now they can seize a tethered dog under their cruelty process. So, if you or your neighbors have not come up with an alternative to tethering now is the time.

If you live in any city’s limits and still tether your dog while you are not at home, you need to start acclimating your dog to a new confinement method now. Most cities are outlawing tethering when revamping their animal control ordinances because city officials never deal with people who tether correctly and humanely — they only deal with the idiots.

3) Fort Worth now has an “Aggressive Dog” designation. This is different from the “Dangerous Dog” designation.  Your dog does not have to bite or menace a person to be declared “Aggressive.”

The press has not discussed this much so I contacted the City for more details. This is very important for Bulldog owners as neighbors are much more likely to report a Bull breed dog than a Lab for the same behavior.

An “Aggressive” dog has “…repeatedly, and unprovoked, bitten or attacked other domestic animals or people inside the dogs enclosure or who repeatedly and aggressively attempt to escape from their enclosure in an attempt to attack another domestic pet or person.”

Emphasis mine – this is very different from the state dangerous dog designation which is about human-aggression.

A dog may be declared “Aggressive”  by a Code Compliance officer if it meets one of the above three criteria. The owner may then petition to the Director.  Note that there is no appeal in court as there is for a Dangerous Dog designation.

As far as the city ordinance goes, the only consequence is that your dog requires a 6-foot fence (again, Bulldogs should have this anyway). However, it is reasonable to assume that insurance carriers will drop customers who have dogs declared “Aggressive” and that additional city ordinances could be added later for this class of dog.  So if your dog is declared “Aggressive” and you do not agree, it is in your best interest to try to get it dropped.  I am not talking about truly human-aggressive dogs (which cannot be tolerated, especially in an urban environment).

The Director of Animal Care and Control may waive the fence requirement based on the size and condition of the dog and the circumstances surrounding the incidents. So, you would petition to the Director to get this designation removed. If you receive a citation for not complying (the only way not to comply would be to have a substandard fence) the citation (and not the designation itself) is appealable in Municipal Court.

There are also changes to licensing and a one-time intact pet permit, as described in the article and the City’s website. The intact pet permit is only $50, required one time, and may be waived if you take a class. I encourage everyone to review and follow the regulations to the letter of the law.

“Pit Bulls” have been specifically called out during these hearings so I would not expect leniency for owners of bull breeds.   Please educate your bulldog-owning neighbors that we are held to a higher standard than other dog owners.