Kennel safety bill filed after Ponderosa Pet Resort fire passes, heads to Governor Abbott's desk
House Bill 2063 is aimed at increasing safety requirements in Texas kennels. It now heads to Gov. Abbott's desk, where it could be signed into law.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A bill filed in response to a fire that took the lives of 75 dogs at a Georgetown pet resort in 2021 passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature this week.
House Bill 2063 is aimed at increasing safety requirements in Texas kennels. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, where it could be signed into law.
In September 2021, a fire broke out at the Ponderosa Pet Resort, killing 75 dogs belonging to 59 families. None of the facility's staff members were on site at the time, and there wasn't a sprinkler system.
The City of Georgetown told KXAN after it happened that its fire code, as well as federal and state standards, did not require sprinkler systems for a facility of this type and size.
According to State Rep. James Talarico, after the fire, dog lovers and community advocates organized a petition that garnered more than 17,000 signatures from across the country calling for legislative solutions to keep dogs in kennels safe.
In response, Talarico filed House Bill 2063, which requires kennels to disclose to pet owners if a dog or cat will be left unattended or left in a facility that does not have a fire sprinkler system, according to the representative.
“The fire in Georgetown was absolutely gut-wrenching. My heart goes out to the families that lost their loving companions,” Talarico said. “After the fire, our community rallied together and called for action. Our legislation will ensure accidents like this never happen again in Texas.”
The bill awaits a signature from Abbott.