Doghouses Required in San Antonio?

[L210]

Not only are we dealing with domesticated animals, but we're dealing with domesticated animals who are in a backyard. When dogs and wild animals are out roaming the streets or wilderness, they can usually find shelter somewhere. They can find shelter under a bush, tree, in a den, etc. So, yeah, they do have "shelter." Plus, you have dog breeds that aren't designed for the Texas heat. If your dog is stuck out in a backyard without cover from the elements, then it's neglect.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by L210

If your dog is stuck out in a backyard without cover from the elements, then it's neglect.

Many dogs can "handle" the Texas weather just fine - your brush is a tad broad there.

We can't (nor should we) make a law about everything. Some folks are going to be boors - just stay away from them. Animals have a way of adapting to things. Food and water goes without saying - cover, well, yeah - mine WILL have it.....but I'm not going to go around inspecting.

[L210]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

Many dogs can "handle" the Texas weather just fine - your brush is a tad broad there.

We can't (nor should we) make a law about everything. Some folks are going to be boors - just stay away from them. Animals have a way of adapting to things. Food and water goes without saying - cover, well, yeah - mine WILL have it.....but I'm not going to go around inspecting.

For as long as I've known, animal control in San Antonio has looked for whether or not the dog has cover from the elements. It's a bare minimum requirement that is not hard to meet. The city is not going to pass an ordinance requiring cover for some breeds and not others. I still think it's cruel, regardless of breed, to leave a dog exposed to rain, hail, and wintry precipitation without cover.

[EL_KaLtero]

Last time I elevated a complaint about a neglected dog, I had a VA cop at the North Central Federal Clinic last week give me a rash of it outloud because, as he stated, "dog has water and shade. What do you guys want me to do?" The dog was barking away outside in the facility parking lot tied to a motorcycle, on a very steamy day. The cop also insisted that dogs were "supposed to be outside, so the animal was in the right place. OUTSIDE". (My Yorkie is always inside!) After his jury passed that guilty verdict on me, in front of 10-15 other patrons at the clinic, I felt maybe this is the last time I get involved in anything like this. Better to keep quiet and walk away...

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by EL_KaLtero

Last time I elevated a complaint about a neglected dog, I had a VA cop at the North Central Federal Clinic last week give me a rash of it outloud because, as he stated, "dog has water and shade. What do you guys want me to do?" The dog was barking away outside in the facility parking lot tied to a motorcycle, on a very steamy day. The cop also insisted that dogs were "supposed to be outside, so the animal was in the right place. OUTSIDE". (My Yorkie is always inside!) After his jury passed that guilty verdict on me, in front of 10-15 other patrons at the clinic, I felt maybe this is the last time I get involved in anything like this. Better to keep quiet and walk away...

That was the wrong place to file your complaint. You were in a federally operated clinic and are not connected to the city. Enforcement comes from the City. If you really wanted to file a complaint you should have called 311 and they would have directed you to ACS.

[flashfearless]

Ask any vet and they will tell you if you compare the average lifespan of a dog or cat when allowed to live indoors vs outdoors, it is night and day. Too many things that an animal can get into living outdoors.

[rynetwo]

Did anyone answer the OP?

No you do not need a dog house. We have a large arbor and we have a back patio that is covered by our house on three sides. If your friend has nothing to shade the animal then they have no business leaving it outside.

Not all dogs need to be let inside the house. If your dog is a nut job and barks at everything you do need to control that.

City of San Antonio Animal Codes

[satx78247]

To All,

It depends on the dog. = I cannot resist relating my "fuss" with Animal Control in Northern VA, whose employees were incensed about my 80# chow-chow NOT having a doghouse.
(Lady Di wouldn't even go into one.)

One afternoon in December, the AC Warden delivered a "free doghouse" doghouse to our place.
(He evidently thought that I couldn't afford a doghouse.)

Two days later, he showed up at our house during a heavy snowfall, knocked on the door & demanded to know where Lady Di was.

My lady said, "Go & see."

When the Warden went into the back yard & found Lady Di sound asleep on top of the doghouse & covered with about 6" of snow, he promptly left. - We never heard from the Animal Control busy-bodies again.
(That said, I wouldn't allow a chow-chow or any of the "Arctic breeds" in SA to be outside for more than a few minutes much of the year, as they tend to get heat exhaustion/heat stroke easily.)

yours, tex

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Soviet

Is there any law in San Antonio that REQUIRES people to have a doghouse for a dog that spends time in the backyard? Someone I know has been hit by an animal neglect citation & I'm trying to figure out what to do to fight this.

The dog in question has NOT been neglected and is loved & cared for by the family every day! I'm just speechless at this!

I doubt the citation mentions specifically that a doghouse must be used, just provide shelter in some form when the weather is too hot or cold.

From the city animal control website:

All call-for-service requests must be reported through the City's 3-1-1 Customer Service line(210.207.6000), or use the City's Online Service Request system in order for ACS to respond to any animal-related concerns. A call for service will be started and your request will be dispatched to the appropriate division.

Please note that the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services receives 90,000 call-for-service requests a year. As such, every call is prioritized with a general focus on calls relating to injured, cruelty, aggressive, bite, or neglect (no food/water/shelter) during periods of extreme weather, etc. Calls will be responded to based on the assigned priority level.

More here... Animal Control & Enforcement