New Bipartisan Bill Looks To Make Dog Tethering In Oklahoma More Humane

House Bill 2993 would create the Humane Tether Act of 2022.

It would prohibit people from tethering dogs in certain circumstances and provide requirements on when you could tie them up.

For instance, the bipartisan bill would make it illegal for people to chain their dogs outside under certain weather conditions.

Filed by Republican Ken Lutrell and Democrat Mickey Dollens, both men currently say dog tethering laws differ from county to county. This bill would make it uniform across the state.

"They are so ambiguous from county to county; they are so different. Those good Samaritans who go out to try and help pets could find themselves in completely different situations from one county to the next," said Dollens.

Lutrell says that chained dogs can more dangerous than free-roaming ones.

"We want to prevent putting dogs at risk from extreme weather conditions and an inability to access food, water, or basic shelter," he said.

This year's legislative session officially begins Monday.