Posted on 09/02/2007 8:40:18 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
DALLAS — A new Texas law went into effect at midnight Friday that could put dog owners behind bars for up to 20 years if their pet fatally attacks someone.
Just hours before earlier, a six-year-old Dallas boy was mauled to death by his family's dog.
The mother of Scott Warren said the family had had the pit bull since Scott was a baby.
Kressie Warren said Friday's attack was the first time the dog had snapped at anyone.
But, she says, with a young daughter in the house, now her only child, it will be the last.
"It's going to be difficult from now on," said Warren said.
She weeps, regretful she ever got the pit bull that took her son, Scott's, life.
"I don't want to never see another pit bull, never. Because he took a precious life."
The mauling happened just before 7 p.m. Friday night.
"We were sitting there in the room and all of the sudden the dog just jumped at him, grabbed at him," Warren said.
Her daughter was in the room with them.
"She was at the back, I was grabbing his mouth trying to get him loose but he was slinging him everywhere."
By the time they got the dog off, it was too late.
Scott eventually died at Baylor Hospital.
Six years old, he'd just finished the first week of first grade.
"I'm not going to see that little boy go back to school, I'm not going to see him play sports, graduate or anything. All because of a stupid dog," Warren said.
Warren is fortunate the attack took place yesterday and the dog was in a contained area.
Otherwise, under a new state law that went into effect today, she could have faced up to 20 years in prison.
Patricia Hughes, Warren's neighbor says, while she doesn't like the idea of having pit bulls and other dangerous breeds at home, she thinks that punishment is too harsh.
"I really think that's too severe. People have committed worse crimes and haven't served that much," she said.
Warren says she's already been given a life sentence.
"Learn from a single parent struggling to raise two children and now I'm down to one. Get rid of the dogs," she said.
Police say right now, they're considering this an accidental death, so they're not pressing charges against the mother at this time.
They say that could change depending on the outcome of their investigation in conjunction with Child Protective Services.
I get tired of hearing that, too.
Well, I never used a shovell but I have a Jack Russell that has been thrown up against the wall before to get his attention. He’s about 4 YO now and have not seen a flare up in over a year. Mind you, he has never been aggresive to people, just other dogs in the pecking order.
I assume this mental midget of a Mother was totally unaware that pit bulls have a reputation for sudden unreasonable attacks, especially on children and small dogs.
People that trust these animals are like those that repeat the same action over and over expecting a different result. Idiots by definition.
Beating a dog with a shovel? No, nothing wrong there, with the dog owner or the dog. Sheesh.
"I really think that's too severe. People have committed worse crimes and haven't served that much," she (Patricia Hughes, Warren's neighbor) said.
Warren says she's already been given a life sentence.
In this case the parent herself is suffering because it was her dog that killed her child. She reacted immediately to try to stop the dog. This wasn't a matter of irresponsible pet ownership where she let the dog run the neighborhood.
The state law is not too harsh for people whose dogs kill others. They are not going to have to live with the consequences of their dog's actions like this lady is.
Can’t speak for the whole breed...but my little APBT was a sweetheart...but lord did she hate cats! She was worthless as a watchdog....wouldn’t even bark >:(
Oops, gotta take that back. I just read your posts. I meant more that the attack on her son wasn't because she let the dog loose, but it looked like some kind of incident was going to happen, if not with her son, with someone else.
That dog should have been put down by now. I hope other owners of pit bulls read about this tragic killing of a precious child, and get rid of their dog.
Ban the breed. Pit Bulls serve very little good purpose. Want a “safe” dog? Get a Yorkie.
Oh yeah this old bit again....
I am sure we could drum up some cute pictures of hitler holding babies and helping old women across the street too would that prove anything? This is such an old schtick I am suprised people still use it, I know if works for the more emotionaly driven, but not much use here.
By the way I work with dogs on a Search and Rescue team, I know dogs save lives, I also know dogs can maim and kill.
My son got attacked by a dog, a german shepard/chow type mix.
Exact words out of the owner’s mouth “He’s never done that before.” The dog knew my son, and they’d played before, but it just snapped I guess. The dog went straight for his neck, and he has the scars to prove it.
That said, the dog did let go, and I believe a pit bull would have ripped my son’s throat out.
No. I see your point. Somehow what I’m trying to get across just isn’t coming out the way I intended.
Lots of pit attacks happen because the dogs are allowed to run loose. In this case, the attack happened without any direct irresponsible (letting them run loose) type action.
I agree that it sounds like she was ignoring the warning signs of the dog becoming dangerous. The fact that a neighbor saw the dog being beat with a shovel by someone else should have alerted the lady.
From another thread: “ One neighbor, Rudy Lopez, said he saw a woman beating one of the dogs a few weeks ago with a shovel after it was involved in a fight with another dog. “
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1889965/posts
So what did the owner do about it?
Actually this new law brings the punishment in line with any other criminally negligent manslaughter charge in Texas, two to twenty.
They are always sweethearts until they kill or maim.
The owner had a small infant and runs a hair salon out of her home, so the dog was put down.
Come to find out later it had been growling at the baby recently.
I got bitten by a dalmatian as a kid. That thing was F’n nasty.
Someone please tell me if this is wrong but the way I see it is that Pit Bulls are less likely to bite or attack than other breeds, but when they *do* bite or attack, they are just so powerful and determined that they are more likely to cause major damage or even death, whereas other breeds generally don’t have the power or determination to inflict major damage.
Is that not the gist of it?
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