Leash Laws- Keeping Pets and You Safe

Why leash laws need to exist
Riverside, TX;

While taking many trips through Riverside, Tx I have always noticed a stray or an owned dog wandering the parking lot of a Valero Gas station, located on route 19. This dog, (Black Lab) would always be there around 9 pm or 12 midnight. I do not know the full history or story of this poor dog, yet from the statements, a couple of Gas Station Attendants have made. Riverside, TX has no animal control nor do they have any leash laws. Even when they tried the next town over ACO's, they refused to get the dog, the next town over is only 10 minutes away; I find this to be very disconcerting.

For a few weeks now, my husband and I have been working hard into getting this precious fur kid off the streets and out of harm’s way. It has been proving difficult to do this, because this poor black lab is skittish around people. The customers and employees are feeding him, so he is not malnourished. They have been keeping an eye on him for us, and have let us know when he is there.

We are trying our best, we are deeply concerned for this black lab, due to another dog being hit by a car and killed just a couple of months ago, from the statements of the gas station attendants there is more than just this black lab that lingers around the Valero parking lot. There have been puppies, and four other black labs wandering around Valero, as for the puppies, we are not sure where they have gone. since we do not see them anymore, The young adult dogs on the other hand, one has been adopted, one hit by a car, The third, is a known wandering dog, he travels from Trinity, to Riverside every Friday. The owner has tried everything to keep him in the yard, built a fence, kept him tethered, and even attempted to keep the doggy door locked, natural Houdini... 

The fourth black lab, still hangs out at Valero, where he shies away from people and jumps at the slightest movement. We do not know if someone owns him or if he is a stray, whichever the case may be this brings me to my point.

Leash laws need to exist to keep our pets safe, from harm, from wandering around freely, from getting lost, to having more control while walking them. Leash Laws need to exist not only for their safety, however for ours as well.

Leash laws go hand in hand with tether laws, dogs of any breed should be on a 10 to 15 ft lead or runner to keep them in the yards that have no fences. So they do not become lost or strayed. If the yard has a fence, make sure there is no weak spots of this fenced in yard, the fence should be at least 6 or 8 ft high, and at least 2 ft deep. We know how dogs love to dig and could possibly dig their way out.
Taking precautions are what keep our dogs safe; always keeping a watchful eye on our dogs is what keeps them safe. We must better ourselves to keep our beloved pets safe.

Ways to keep pets safe: 
Micro chipping
Leash
Fence
Teaching Vocal Commands
always keeping an eye on them
keep them in when you are out of town or at night, or when the weather is bad.
Use a Runner or Lead, when you do not have a fenced in yard.
Muzzle, if you are not sure how your dog will react to others.