Violent Dog Owners Could Face Up To 20 Years In Prison

[matcom]

:popcorn:

<snip>

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.

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.

http://www.reporternews.com/news/2007/may/17/senate-approves-stiffer-penalties-owners-violent-d/

[Breeze54]

1. MA is probably next!

Since MA has been exploring a statewide pit bull ban, there have been attacks on the news almost every day!

I think that's odd! Are people purposely antagonizing the dogs to make a point or cash?

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/05/17/ban_behavior_not_breeds/">Ban behavior, not breeds

Boston Globe > Opinion > Editorials

May 17, 2007

DANGEROUS DOBERMANS, Rottweilers, German shepherds, or any other dog breeds would get a pass
under any legislation that focuses exclusively on banning or restraining pit bulls.
Massachusetts needs a sound state law that addresses vicious dogs of every type, not breed-specific
laws that fail to differentiate between behavior and brand.... more ...

[DS1]

2. Okay.

[Tyler Durden]

3. OK, where's the CAT bill?

When my middle kid was a toddler, the neighbor's cat opened him up with a bite AND clawing that required Steri-Strips to close. The infection lasted a month.

I saw the whole thing, and the kid just wanted to "pet the kittie," and didn't even make contact.

SO...where's the CAT BILL?

[AngryAmish]

43. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good

All violent animal owners should be punished but just because some owners are not punished does not mean that other owners should not be punished.

[ElboRuum]

72. Better Question...

Where's Bill the Cat. Ack. Phthfft.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. well if that doesnt motivate people to be responsible dog owners

dont know what will.

[Tyler Durden]

5. Pri, my CORGIS will bite strangers who stick a hand through the fence.

What do I do? Send them to the shelter because a kid or an irresponsible adult goes into my fenced yard, or reaches over the gate?

I LOVE dogs, but I'm not stupid enough to ignore a dog's aggressive body language: I've NEVER been bitten.

A prison sentence HIGHER than some drunk gets for running over a kid is silly.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. well to be very honest, i was just thinking of dogs in other peoples property or on the streets

if your dog is in your house and someone intrudes, i think that is a different story.

this is why i think cats arent legislate on. i mean my cat only claws people who try to pet her in her house. she doesnt get an opportunity to do it to an unsuspecting stranger :P

[Tyler Durden]

8. You see Lawyer ads for "dog bite" cases on the tube all the time.

Dog bite is the new "slip and fall" lawsuit. When we let the kids out in our own yard, Deb or I are on duty to see nothing happens.

I found out recently that on the "temperament scale" Pit Bulls score about 83 out of 100: higher than LABS, and higher than my Corgs at 77. I don't know the answer to this, but when a member of congress broadsides someone while juiced and draws PROBATION (Minnesota if I remember right), then a jail term for a dog owner of 20 years is ridiculous.

[bicentennial_baby]

7. Agreed!

Especially the last point. :thumbsup:

[Tyler Durden]

9. Personally I like my dogs better than most people I know...

Present and posting company excluded, of course!

[bicentennial_baby]

11. I have Huskies...

Or rather, my dogs live with my parents, but...They have to pay extra on their homeowner's insurance b/c Huskies are a 'dangerous breed'...My dogs wouldn't dare bite a human, ever, except maybe if you stuck your hand in the boy's food dish while he was eating, but even then probably not. If you're a cat though, that's another matter altogether... :P

[Tyler Durden]

14. OOOOO Loves me some Huskies.

WONDERFUL wolfie animals. A HUGE one knocked me down while his owner let me pet him (he was walking him with sled dog rig: the only way he could control him).

That dog gave me puppy kisses that saturated me from my chest to the top of my head; I loved it.

[bicentennial_baby]

16. here they are, last weekend:

Stripe is singing and Buddy is yawning...hehe

[Tyler Durden]

23. Oh THANK YOU! Here's a couple of "the kids!"

"Scout's Vincenzo la Bocca" or "Vinnie" (The only Corg I've ever met who "sings"!)


"Red Alert Brigette" or "Brijjie" (The BOSS. Dom Fem to the MAX)


"Rhapsody in Red Charles" or "Charlie" (The sweetest boy on the block)


Just plain "Sneezer" (Corg/Border mix, the old man. Nicest dog I've ever met.)

[bicentennial_baby]

24. OMG! So cute! Eeeek!

How loveable....awwww. :D

[Tyler Durden]

27. They all give FANTASTIC kisses.

If you're ever in Owosso Michigan, come by: They'll lick you as much as you let them.

[Tyler Durden]

30. "Lady Scout of Kent"

"Scout," Vinnie's mom. (Vinnie is one year old next month!)

[Fleshdancer]

61. whoaa, back up a sec....

Huskies are considered a 'dangerous breed'??!?!? Really? I grew up with huskies and they were wonderful dogs. I'm so surprised by this.

[pokerfan]

20. Can your Corgi kill a human being?

I'm sympathetic to the view that there are no bad breeds, just bad owners, but I'm starting to change my mind. Of course, the bad breed problem is still a human problem/responsibility for creating the breed in the first place. But lok at the CDC reports, or even more pertently, insurance studies.

[Tyler Durden]

25. If you came into my yard, and threatened my wife or daughter...

Those three lovely Corgis would SHRED you. If I didn't STOP them (and I would likely get hurt doing it), Yeah. They'd kill you. STRONG jaws and BIG teeth: They herd CATTLE.

[Blue-Jay]

78. hahahahaha!

I'm sorry, but the thought of killer corgis is hilarious! I think I'd need to lay still on the ground for an hour before one of those ankle-biters could tear open a vein.

Are they Pembrokes or Cardigans? (Cute dogs, BTW)

[Shell Beau]

28. Almost any type of dog can kill a human. Maybe not adults, but

my little mini pinscher could really hurt a small child. They have strong jaws and sharp teeth. So technically, any type of dog could be potentially dangerous.

[pokerfan]

29. So why is it that Pit Bulls lead the list?

The list of killer dogs?

[Tyler Durden]

31. Because they are EASY to train.

You can train them to be vicious or gentle. Try this:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/petbulls.html

And their tenacity and drive makes them perform astounding acts of heroism:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/extraordinary_animals/89234


You can say this about almost ANY dog, but the Pits have gone from being "America's Dog" to being the goat. It's a shame.

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/dvelez2/HeartsofGold/id6.html

And there acts of loyalty and heroism are legion:

http://www.pbrc.net/misc/PBRCHeros.pdf

[Shell Beau]

32. All dogs are POTENTIAL killers. I didn't say they were killers.

Take a look at this info and see what I mean!

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/OtherBreedBites/AllDogsBite.htm

[Tyler Durden]

33. What a GREAT page!

Thanks! Time someone saw that it's the ACTION and INDIVIDUAL, not the group.

[flvegan]

38. BULL MOOSE ATTACK!!!!

Are they sure it wasn't a pit bull moose?

:rofl:

[flvegan]

34. Which list? The woefully inaccurate

CDC list? The one that stopped tracking in 1996? The one that shows fatality by "pit bull" to be on a sharp decline?

Maybe it's the list that too many folks have. The one built by media driven hysteria over "pit bull type" dogs, which range from boxers to cane corso, staffies to American, dogo to bulldog.

[pokerfan]

41. Insurance companies

http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pitbull-articles/pitbull-insurance-pet-insurance.html

[flvegan]

42. Your link is to pet health insurance.

I'm failing to see your meaning.

[LeftyMom]

37. They don't you know.

They're nowhere near the top of the list of dogs likely to bite, either. They just happen to be plentiful and easily misidentified. I can't tell you how many times my late boxer was described as a pit bull by some fearful idiot, and she wasn't the slightest bit interested in biting anything that wasn't kibble shaped.

I'm all in favor of bans on risky behaviors, such as leaving dogs unaltered and keeping them chained, that are proven to increase the risk of dog attacks (both are also harmful to the dog.) Also, since most dog attacks occur with known dogs and dogs in one's household, I'd encourage more education about finding a dog that's a good match for the family, particularly discouraging the combination of small children and small, high strung dogs, since small dogs bite more frequently and tend to target disproportionately the heads of small children.

[Shell Beau]

10. I just don't know about this.

I guess dogs that are obviously violent and the owners do nothing, but if my dog were to out of the blue attack someone (which they can't since they are confined to my house and backyard) and I had never seen any indication that could happen, I don't think I should serve time in prison. I would be willing to pay any medical bills, though! :shrug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. that was my other thought: a dog who is in the habit of biting is one thign

but what if it randonly happens one morning

[Tyler Durden]

17. Problem is...They ban breeds in Canadian cities.

AND some US cities. THIS is BS of the highest degree. A Saint Bernard or a Newfoundland is big enough to KILL a FOOTBALL PLAYER if so motivated, so Pit Bulls? Give me a break. One of the nicest dogs in our neighborhood is a piebald Pit. So well mannered, he sits and whines until his mistress tells him it's ok: "Go say HI," is the release command, and he comes to you SLOWLY and GENTLY, wiggling his stumpy tail and smiling his doggy ass off. What a nice dog!

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Well, if that dog owner got violent with ME, I'd have sumthin to say about it!

*huff*

[Gormy Cuss]

35. Darn tootin'!

I read the ambiguity in that headline too.:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

40. Yah, was too cute to resist. LOl

:hi:

[crispini]

15. Lillian's Law

76 year old woman mauled to death in her front yard by a pack of pit bulls. Read this and tell me it doesn't sound like a good idea:

On Saturday afternoon, Lillian Stiles was doing what she loved, tending her yard and flowers from atop her riding lawn mower. About 4:15 p.m., she would be found fatally mauled by a pack of dogs.

Stiles, 76, was found lying in her front yard at her home near Thorndale with bites all over her body. She had been attacked by six pit bull-Rottweiler mixed-breed dogs owned by a man living less than 500 yards away, Milam County sheriff's deputies said.

A man who stopped to help Stiles also was badly injured by the dogs.

http://www.txfadd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=7

There are plenty of responsible dog owners out there. There are also plenty of irresponsible ones who don't care for their dogs properly, raise them to use in dog fights, keep a dog on the yard on a leash at all times and give them inadequate care so they'll be "meaner," and on and on. The fact that these dogs are made mean by their OWNER and their OWNER should be held responsible.

[Shell Beau]

18. But I am a responsible dog owner. What if by some chance

my dog were to escape from my backyard and hurt someone. While I would feel terrible and would pay for any damages, I don't think it is fair for me to serve time. My dogs have never shown any indication that they would hurt someone. They are well behaved and loving. But all animals can be unpredictable at times. I know that I must take full responsibility for my animals, but if something awful were to happen, it doesn't make ME a criminal.

[AngryAmish]

44. If your dog escapes your back yard you are, by definition, irresponsible

Unless someone else lets it out.

[Shell Beau]

45. How does that make me irresponsible?

If it never happened before and I had no idea the dog could possibly get out. And it is always possible for someone else to let them out.

[Tyler Durden]

19. So treat cases on an individual basis.

A fight trained animal is a weapon: treat it as such, and treat the owner as if he/she were handling the weapon.

But Breed Bans DON'T WORK. A POMERANIAN or a HOUSE CAT can kill an infant if so motivated.

I repeat: my son was MAULED by the neighbor's cat: WHERE is the CAT LAW? He was 2: he could have lost an eye.

[Shell Beau]

22. Or even cat scratch fever. I knew a little 4 year old that died from it!

[JitterbugPerfume]

21. pets are just as good as their owner.

A mistreated and abused amimal will strike back, just as a mistreated and abused person will.People should not be allowed to adopt pets until they have had screening ( the people NOT the pet)
I love animals

[Tyler Durden]

26. EXACTLY, and that's how this sort of thing should be treated.

On an individual basis.

[DBoon]

55. "personality travels down the leash"

nt

[flvegan]

36. Another reason why everyone should be armed at all times.

If the dogs are seen as weapons, and their owners as brandishing them, then each instance of violence by dog could be easily thwarted by a person with a concealed carry license. They could shoot the dog and the owner and be done with it.

In the instance of it being an attack by a number of dogs, then hopefully someone will have a high-capacity Glock on their person, or an assault rifle (AR-15, AK-47, etc) in their trunks with double banana clips ready to roar.

I love sarcasm in the morning.

[RetroLounge]

39. ...

:spray:

:yourock:

RL

[DBoon]

76. The I want a gun that licks my face when I come home from work

or maybe not...

[BikeWriter]

46. Is this for vicious chihuahuas, too?

[FloridaJudy]

47. My son has an Akita

Another type of dog with a bad reputation.

She's a sweetie pie, about the gentlest dog I've ever met. The vast majority of dog bites are inflicted by intact male dogs: one needs to take not only the breed, but the sex and the way a dog is raised into account. My Tibetan terrier mix could probably inflict some damage if she'd been raised to be vicious, and that's a rather shy breed. As it is, no mice are safe in my house, and human visitors are in grave danger of being licked to death.

[Roon]

48. My parents have a HUGE Wiemerwiner

that bites someone every couple of months or so. So far they haven't been sued, kept the dog,and don't train him at all.

One day they are going to get sued and they are going to wish they listened to us when we suggested they put the dog down. He bit a two-year-old baby..my 13-year-old nephew, (still has the scar on his butt) my step niece. My brother. And he bit a friend of theirs so bad he had to get stitches.

Yet they keep the dog. I just don't understand people and their biting dogs. Oh yeah, biting dog owners....you know your dog bites, so why do you bring the dog to the family gatherings at the park? Why don't you put your dog away when we come visit? You think just by simply saying, "Look out, he bites" is going to get you off the hook?

And that's another thing, when someone does get in trouble and the dog is court ordered to put it down,they will just simply get another dog.

I just don't understand people who own biting dogs.

[Shell Beau]

52. Wow! That is what I call irresponsible! Sorry to say

that about your parents, but that is a bad accident waiting to happen.

[Roon]

56. I know, shell

My parents are wealthy, educated, smart, etc. I just don't get why they keep that dog around. Maybe a hit in the pocket book will wake them up.

[MadHound]

49. If this gets passed, it will be interesting to see how it works out

After all, statistically speaking, a cockerspaniel owner should be the first to go to jail, since cockers are among the top biting dogs in the country.
Somehow though, I think that this is designed only to be used with larger dogs. And just exactly how will "unprovoked attack" be defined?

Sorry, but this is a bullshit bill, another in a long line to get larger dogs, most specifically pit bulls, off the street. Another reason that I'm glad I don't live in Texas.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

50. I don't see much of a problem here, besides the "20 year" thing.

20 years in prison is a bit extreme. But I'm all for people with dogs, particularly people with dogs that have records of being vicious, paying up, especially if dogs attack while their humans are not around and the dogs are known to be grumpy or unfriendly.

[militaryspouse]

51. This hits close to home

My neighbors lab bit a child on the back a few weeks ago. The bite mark was huge! The kid was walking slightly in their yard. I say slightly b/c we all share yards.and it's a funky set-up. Anyway the dog was on a 20-25 foot cord and it lunged and attacked the boy, who btw was NOT antaganozing the dog, merely running to get to the park. Of course she blamed the child and her dog can do no wrong. Because no charges were pressed she gets to keep kujo.

I don't care if I paid 2,000 dollars for a dog. Once it bit a small child..or anyone for that matter it would be out the door faster than Jackie Chan kicks! Biting dogs are nothing more than a liability!

[Shell Beau]

53. Dogs don't typically do well on chains. Especially large

dogs. They need room to run and exercise. I fault the owner. Poor little boy!

[Fleshdancer]

62. In order to get 20 yrs, the victim of the dog attack has to die

If the dog kills someone, I think 20 yrs is acceptable personally.

[cwydro]

54. Well,

at least it is an incentive to keep your dogs close. Mine are always with me...or in the house upside down on the couch snoozing.

[KamaAina]

57. Yessirree, it's another Dumb Headline

Violent Dog Owners Could Face Up To 20 Years In Prison

So is it the dogs that are supposed to be violent -- or the owners? And if the latter, how much time do violent people who don't own dogs get? :eyes:

[matcom]

58. so sorry it didn't meet with your approval

not.

:eyes:

[KamaAina]

59. No, no, no. The headline *itself* is dumb, because it's ambiguous.

it should have read "Owners Of Violent Dogs Could Get 20 Years In Prison". The way it's written, it could just as easily refer to dog owners who are violent. And we've all known a few like that in our time, haven't we? :-)

[matcom]

60. ahhh. sorry 'bout that

my bad

[MonkeyFunk]

63. Good

It's long past time for such laws.

[Left Is Write]

64. Why are the dog owners violent?

[jeff30997]

66. Lol! It reminds me of a P.T Barnum scam:

On a tent it was written:"Come and see The Man-Eating-Chicken!!!"

Peoples would pay then come in the tent and what did they see?

A man with fork and knife eating chicken! :)

[Writer]

65. Why is there discussion in here about pit bulls? The law says nothing about pit bulls.

It discusses violent dogs. That is dogs (generic) that act violently. The law targets the owners and makes them responsible.

Also note that you are liable UP TO 20 years in prison, and only if the victim DIES - which is a form of negligent homicide. UP TO - meaning that you could serve as little as 3 months or as much as 20. That's why we have trials.

BTW: My family owned a mutt when I lived in Maine. It tore up rabbits and other wildlife. Finally it tore the side out of an elderly couple's poodle. My mom drove them to the emergency vet and covered all of their vet bills. Not only was my family fined, we had to put the dog to sleep. We never trained the dog. We never did anything to curb our dog's violence. My family was irresponsible and deserved the fine. I'm just glad it never attacked a child.

[Danger Mouse]

80. Becasuse pit bulls are a favorite subject of lounge flamewars.

Stay away, stay far faaaar away.
:nuke:

[Radical Activist]

67. Good.

People need to learn that many dog breeds don't belong in populated urban areas. Its bad for the dog and bad for people around the dog.

[flvegan]

68. Which breeds?

Be specific, and please suggest why. I'm intrigued.

[Radical Activist]

69. No, I won't be specific.

Ones that bark all fucking night in populated areas and tend to bite people. Additionally, any breed large enough that it shouldn't be penned up in a cage or apartment all day like a lot of selfish morons do to torture their dog. If you want a large dog, move to the country.

[flvegan]

70. So then, basically

This statement:

"People need to learn that many dog breeds don't belong in populated urban areas. Its bad for the dog and bad for people around the dog."

Really has no backing, or specifics. Good.

Breeds that "tend to bite people" and "bark all fucking night"...yeah, good luck with that.

Large dogs, btw, don't fit into that neat little group you suggest. The largest dogs are quite good in apartments, small areas, etc. The worst dogs for small spaces? Yeah...the little dogs...Jack Russels...but then, you knew that, educated as you are on the topic.

[Radical Activist]

71. No backing?

Public noise ordinances are my backing. Why should exceptions be made for dogs? Neighbors that keep large dogs penned up all day so that they bark at anything/nothing and jump around madly in circles because they don't have room for anything else are my backing. The fact that any animal needs room to live is my backing. I don't care what breed it is because any breed of dog can be made to be a nuisance. The way that dogs are a nuisance and bring down the quality of life in my neighborhoods is all the education and backing I need on the topic. I don't need to be a breeding expert to know that a dog that wakes up the entire neighborhood on a regular basis doesn't belong in a city and that an animal half the weight of a human can't live in a pen 1/10th the size of the house the owner lives in.

[flvegan]

73. Your public noise ordinances

are specific as to dog breeds? You said that some breeds don't belong in urban areas. I asked which ones.

[Radical Activist]

74. If you don't want to discuss

the problems with dogs in urban areas, that was a good way to dodge the issue.

[flvegan]

75. Okay, strawman.

Thanks.

[MonkeyFunk]

77. I'll answer:

Pitbulls.

Because they maim and kill far more than any other breed.

[Blue-Jay]

79. Poor widdle pibbles.

They's just mithundersthood.

(how did I just start typing with a lisp? That's weird.)