Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed 20 bills on Monday, June 21st, including one to protect dogs from neglect and abuse.
According to The Texas Tribune, the proposed Safe Outdoor Dogs Act (Senate Bill 474), “would have made it illegal to chain up dogs and leave them without drinkable water, adequate shade, or shelter.” The bill also called for the ban of “tethering dogs with heavy chains.”
Abbott’s reasoning for the veto was that statutes are already in place. He felt the bipartisan bill would amount to “micro-managing and over-criminalization.”
The author of the bill, Democratic Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., voiced his “disappointment” with Abbott. “I don’t agree with everything he does, but I respect him when it comes to quality of life and protecting life. I want to include dogs in that issue,” he said.
“It’s not a political issue with me — it’s a humane issue,” the state lawmaker continued. “We need to do our best to take care of them.”
Texas Humane Legislation Network’s executive director Shelby Bobosky also expressed concern. She claims the proposed legislation would have “clarified the vague language that makes the statute completely unenforceable.”
Bobosky went on to say that “all the elements Governor Abbott cited as ‘micromanagement’ were carefully negotiated compromises that addressed concerns from lawmakers in both parties to strike the right balance for our diverse state,” and the bill was “was the result of six years of tireless effort” by her non-profit organization to ensure this dog law would hit the books.
Twitter Users Respond To Veto With #AbbottHatesDogs
In response to Abbott’s veto, users took to Twitter and created the #AbbottHatesDogs hashtag to voice their displeasure with the Texas governor.
“Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that would’ve ensured protection for dogs left in extreme weather conditions. In wake of this news, we’re sending our best wishes to Snowflake, Ted Cruz’s dog, who was left in the cold while the Senator fled for Cancun,” the official account of the Texas Democrats tweeted.
Former Secretary of HUD, Julián Castro, also blasted the governor for his veto of the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act and voting protections. “I have to hand it to the governor. ‘Anti-voting rights, pro-animal cruelty’ is a bold re-election message,” the former mayor of San Antonio tweeted.
Another member of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, Director of Government Relations Stacy Sutton Kerby, told CBS Austin that the organization was “completely blindsided” by Abbott’s decision to veto the bill.
“This was a chance for the governor and for the state of Texas to keep dogs in our community safer, and we are heartbroken to know that these incidents will continue because we did not take the chance to make it right,” Kerby said.
- If you wish to contact Gov. Greg Abbott’s office directly to voice your concern over his veto, you can find all the available information here.
- If you would like to donate to the Texas Humane Legislation Network to help them continue in their fight, please do so here.
What are some of the laws that protect dogs in your state? Did you help activists take action to make sure they passed? Then let us know in the comments below!
