Stiffer Penalties for Violent Dogs

GUER03 · 05-17-2007, 04:39 PM

Just out in the Dallas News site.

Senate approves stiffer penalties for owners of violent dogs 2:33 PM CDT

02:33 PM CDT on Thursday, May 17, 2007
Associated Press

AUSTIN - The owners of dogs that violently attack people could face up to 20 years in prison under a bill approved Thursday by the Texas Senate.

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Capitol Letters: Blogging the Texas Legislature
The bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, would charge a dog owner with a third-degree felony -- punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine -- if the dog makes an unprovoked attack and seriously injures the victim.

If the victim dies, the crime would be a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

If the Texas House of Representatives approves the changes made by the Senate, the measure could end up on the governor's desk by early next week. Otherwise members of both chambers will meet to work out the differences.

Current law calls for punishments ranging from a $500 fine to one year in jail. And for a dog owner to be charged, the dog must have been classified as dangerous from a previous incident -- a provision critics call "one free bite." The measure approved Thursday would charge the owner after the first attack.

Republican Sen. Craig Estes unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill to charge dog owners with a class A misdemeanor -- punishable by a year in jail and a $4,000 fine -- instead of a felony.

Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said that punishment wouldn't send a strong enough message to the owners of dangerous dogs.

He pointed to the Senate gallery, toward the husband and daughter of a woman who was attacked by six dogs after getting off her riding lawn mower at her home near Thorndale, about 40 miles northeast of Austin.

"I don't think we can go to the Stiles family and say to them ... that that life is worth a class A misdemeanor," he said.

The dogs that attacked 76-year-old Lillian Stiles had not been declared dangerous. Their owner, Jose Hernandez, was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide last month. He had faced up to two years in a state jail for the felony charge.

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What bothers me is in my neighborhood there are a lot of Pit Bulls running loose and a couple Rotties. What worries me is one of these dogs confronting my wife and young kids to and from the truck. It's crazy that it's not uncommon to see those dogs running around loose in peoples' yards.

frznbuns · 05-17-2007, 05:17 PM

I agree that laws need to be stiffer for the owners of these dogs..
but on the other hand.. Here in KC, MO area a elderly lady was killed by a dog and the owner said that he did not own the dog.. so he was not punished.. It is a sad world..

Linda H · 05-17-2007, 05:26 PM

Don't you have lease laws? I would call them in if I feared for my or my familys' safety.

micdobe · 05-17-2007, 06:00 PM

There are leash laws where I live but I've never seen them enforced. In fact I called on a dog or two in the past that was running around, loose, pit bulls, one of which had cornered a neighbor in her car and wouldn't let her get out. We were told they wouldn't come out unless we caught the dog and held it for them. Duh. I can see why they wouldn't want to waste time coming out and finding the dog gone by the time they got there, but when people call because they're afraid of the dog, they don't want to try to catch it and hold it for animal control to arrive.

Linda H · 05-17-2007, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by micdobe

There are leash laws where I live but I've never seen them enforced. In fact I called on a dog or two in the past that was running around, loose, pit bulls, one of which had cornered a neighbor in her car and wouldn't let her get out. We were told they wouldn't come out unless we caught the dog and held it for them. Duh. I can see why they wouldn't want to waste time coming out and finding the dog gone by the time they got there, but when people call because they're afraid of the dog, they don't want to try to catch it and hold it for animal control to arrive.

Now that is just stupid on your animal controls' part. Did you try to find out who to go to above them? Maybe if someone called the police. I hear our police on the scanner on dog calls quite a bit. They are brave souls on some of the calls. I hate to be breed specific, but I am leary of pit bulls. We just have a wonderful humane society here. No stray dogs at all and this place used to be awash with strays. With the spay and neuter they said they are not seeing the number of dogs they used to.

I meant no stray dogs loose on the streets.

MandysBlackRoses · 05-17-2007, 11:04 PM

I don't know... If the circumstances were aggrivated then yes. After all, the person is not directly at fault. They are at fault, but only by ownership of the animal. People who actully KILL other people don't even get 20 years for the most part. I say fine them, and detroy the animal. Also the family can sue. Now if this animal has many offences, and nothing was done, and the owner KNEW the dog as dangerous, then of course the penilty should be rasied a bit. Jail time would be approriate here. And also a person who would continue to not be responsible should not be allowed to EVER own a dog again.

Stiffer laws yes. But 20 years?