In my opinion, Texas has some of the most sensible laws in the country. However, I think if you went through the books here, I suspect you could find a spate of laws passed for special events or situations that remain long after the necessity is gone.
Just as an example of our good laws, we have very stringent laws protecting your homestead and your marriage. Those laws were passed to keep the husband from gambling away or mortgaging the house or ranch without a good reason, and to keep men for treating women as property. Until very recently, you could not increase the indebtedness on your house unless you made actual improvements to it. No second lien mortgages, cash-out refinances, etc. Had that law not been repealed, Texas would have been almost completely immune to the current sub-prime problems. Also, a woman has the right to 1/2 of her husband's property in the case of divorce (or death). And in Texas, if you ever represent yourself as married, you are. If either party thinks you're married, you are.
In the particular instance of Persi, it should be noted that had it not been Lee's cat, it would have had to be quarantined or killed and checked for rabies, which would be a good thing...for Lee. Had Lee been living at his own residence, all he would have had to do is keep Persi quarantined to his home, which he would have been doing anyway. The unique situation of an ER report and the hotel as residence is what put this one in the "odd" category, and even at that, they allowed Lee to have the cat quarantined at his own vet's location.
Sorry, but while it's a traumatic experience, I think the law and the way it treated Lee was just about spot on.
