Surveillance video captured a pit bull chase a 7-year-old boy and attack him as he tried to escape. The unprovoked attack occurred outside Austin in Manor, Texas. The dog owner ran after the dog and pulled him off the child shortly after the attack began. The boy suffered numerous bites and scratches to his legs and back.
The boy was taken to the hospital and released the same day. The dog owner surrendered the dog for quarantine and testing. When a dog attacks a person in Texas, it is standard protocol for authorities to quarantine the dog for ten days and investigate whether the dog is current for its rabies vaccination.
After a dog attacks a person and causes bodily injury outside of its enclosure in which the dog was kept, it may be declared a “dangerous dog” under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822. A court makes the determination at a hearing whether the dog caused the death or serious bodily injury of a person. If the court makes the determination that the dog killed a person, the government destroys the dog. If the dog seriously injured someone, it is declared a “dangerous dog.” The owner may destroy the dog or keep the animal if the owner follows statutory requirements that include: liability insurance for the dog, registering the dog, and restraining the dog at all times in an enclosure or with a leash. Most dog owners put down the dog if it is declared a “dangerous dog” because of the high cost of liability insurance.
If you have been injured by a dog, contact the O’Hara Law Firm for a free consultation at 832-956-1138.