NEW LAW BANNING DOG-CHAINING TAKES EFFECT IN TEXAS – AND DOMINATES ON FACEBOOK

Source: Forbes (Extract)
Posted:
January 21, 2021

A Facebook post from a Houston TV station announcing Texas’ new ban on chaining up dogs outdoors found an audience far beyond the local market, with the news making for the most popular link post on Facebook in the U.S. over the past week, beating out a slew of posts from conservative news sources.

The post from KTRK-TV has attracted more than 240,000 reactions, 15,000 shares and 10,000 comments since going up Tuesday, the day the new law went into effect, according to data compiled by social media tracking firm NewsWhip.

Unlike most other top posts on the platform, KTRK-TV’s post did not come with a description: It only contained a headline saying, “New animal law means no more dogs on chains in Texas,” along with an image of a chained-up dog.

The law, called the “Safe Outdoor Dogs Act,” bans chaining up dogs that are outside, identifying chains as an unsafe tethering option. It also requires dogs to have access to drinking water and mandates “adequate shelter” for inclement weather conditions, among other new regulations. The act passed the Texas legislature last year with broad bipartisan support.