Goliad, Texas

§ 2.01.010 Confinement and restraint; tethering.

(d) Tethering illegal. It shall be unlawful for a person to use a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device to attach an animal to a stationary object or trolley system.

(e)Defenses. It is an affirmative defense to a violation of subsection (d) that the animal tethering:

(1) Is during a lawful animal event, veterinary treatment, grooming, training, or law enforcement activity;

(2) Is required to protect the safety or welfare of a person or the animal, and the animal’s owner maintains direct physical control of the animal;

(3) Occurs in the direct physical control of the owner in a designated city park; or

(4) Occurs on the owner’s premises and:

(A) While the animal is within the owner’s direct physical control;

(B) Prevents the animal from advancing to within fifteen (15) feet of the edge of any public street; and

(C) Does not occur for more than eight (8) hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period.

(f) Qualifications on defenses. The affirmative defenses provided in subsection (e) are only available if the following specifications are met:

(1) The chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device is attached to a properly fitted collar or harness worn by the animal;

(2) The chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device is not placed directly around the animal’s neck;

(3) The chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device does not exceed 1/20th of the animal’s body weight;

(4) The chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device, by design and placement, allows the animal a reasonable and unobstructed range of motion without entanglement; and

(5) The animal has access to adequate shelter, adequate food and clean water.