Woman Attacked in Her Street by Neighbor’s Dog
A Houston woman was attacked by a pit bull belonging to a neighbor while it was roaming the streets of her neighborhood in direct violation of the Houston leash laws. Victim, Jennifer Jenkins had just attempted to inform her neighbors that their dogs were out, to no avail – her neighbors claimed that the dogs had been put away. Moments later, Jenkins found herself being approached by one of the pit bulls at an alarming speed and was violently attacked in the middle of her street. Attacks by pit bulls are actually more common than people might think, and statistics show that they are on the rise.
Bruised and cut, Jenkins is also undergoing a series of rabies vaccinations as the owners of the dog have no medical history or records for the pit bull or any of their three other dogs. Jenkins is now attempting to right what has been wrong. The owners of the dog have refused to give it up for mandatory quarantine, and have sent it to live with one of their friends outside of the city’s jurisdiction. The concern now lies for the rest of the neighborhood as the potential for another attack looms over them. With three more dogs at the pit bull’s residence, Jenkins worries an attack might happen again – though this time, the victim may not be so lucky.
Texas Dog Attack Fatality Statistics
From the years 2005 – 2012, pit bull attacks were responsible for 60% of all dog bite fatalities. It is quite clear that the dog breed may not be completely safe to own. Here in Texas between the years, 2005 and 2013, 35 dog bite fatalities occurred – the highest number of any state. The number is also on the rise. Between 1988 and 2012, the rate of fatal pit bull attacks in Texas increased by over 500%.
Many people may assume themselves exempt from the dangers of pit bulls as they care for their animals and have them are family pets. They may be surprised to hear that family dogs compromised 53% of all fatal dog maulings and 88% of the attacks occurred on the dog owner’s property. Harris County had the most fatal dog attack occurrences during that time period.
Dog Attack Laws Inadequate in Texas
Texas dog bite laws are a little outdated. Houston area animal control laws don’t always help due to the one bite rule. The lone star state is a one-bite state, which means that the first time a dog attacks a person, the owner gets off relatively easily. The only responsibility the owner has is to warn people of the dangerous dog, but they will not be liable for any damages incurred on the dog’s first attack.
Family Fined for Hiding Dog
As for the pit bull that attacked Jenkins – the true whereabouts of the animal are actually unknown, and the family is being fined $565 a day by Houston animal control for failing to surrender the dog. In addition, the family is also being fined for failing to register and vaccinate their other three dogs. Thes demonstrates that hiding a dog from the authorities can be a very expensive proposition.
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