This issue of Taking Command reviews major issues and emerging trends in legislation. Among other developments, an increasing number of proposed laws seek to establish arbitrary dog care requirements that are not based on scientific criteria or accepted animal husbandry practices.
For example, some states and communities have proposed laws that would require owners to provide dogs with “constant and unfettered access” to an outdoor enclosure. Others are doing the exact opposite, making it a crime to leave a dog outdoors unattended, even in a safe enclosure with shade, water, other animals as companions, and a snug dog house.