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 agree with you...but a lot of these dogs are completely damaged goods....i wouldn’t touch one or even put one out for adoption...these dogs are specifically bred for aggression...i hate the scum that does this but i wouldn’t bet on the average joe or most attention seeking politicians to know the difference in old solid line breeds and “scary looking dogs”.
:-)
What you propose is all good in theory but would be impossible to enforce in many country areas. I live in Harris county, Houston , Texas and a short 30-40 minute drive would put me in the most back wood out of the way neighborhood you would not believe. Barely accesible without 4 wheel drive, things go on there nobody knows about.
I though that we we talking about a monsters causing public mayhem? If what happens in the boondocks stays in the boondocks, no problem.
If what happens in the boondocks stays in the boondocks, no problem.
It doesn’t stay there...where do you think the inner city thugs get their dogs?
Look in your newspaper in the classified pets section. The vast majority are private breeders supplying mutts.
I don’t think that 200 persons killed by dogs in a year rise to make it a national emergency, anyways.
I don’t understand your point....nevermind.
I would like to know what Cesar Milan would say about something like this.
He’s very good at dog psychology - I am sure there had to be something that the dog was telegraphing.
There’s something called ‘Springer Spaniel rage’...where the spaniel snaps, goes beserk, and it’s unpredictable. Not as widely known as pit bull attacks. This story is tragic, and bottom line, anyone with children shouldn’t own a pit bull. With a dog like that, as with any potentially dangerous breed, you have to take sensible precautions. Control of the dog at all times.
Violence, beating the dog with a shovel, the woman created a time bomb. Terrible that her son died, and I’m not going to say another word.
Growling at the baby?!?!?!
Idiot mother. The FIRST sign of any aggression towards a child, much less baby, should have been it.
This dog didn’t *just snap*. He’d been giving signs the whole time.
Oops, I just realized that the dog growling at the baby was in referenece to your neighbor, not the lady in the thread, I think.
Dalmations are not known for their sweet temperments.
At the campgrounds we go to, someone had a pair of dalmations that were about the nastiest things I ever saw. The owner would take them for walks and warn all the LITTLE kids who were running around not to try to pet the dogs because they’d bite. I was so afraid that if those dogs got out, they’d kill some kid before they could be stopped.
I don’t know what’s wrong with people who would bring a dog that they know is so aggressive to ANYONE to a place so full of kids.
I notice the cop in the top right picture is having trouble controlling the dog. Some cops go for the badge and gun because of insecurity. I guess if that doesn’t work, they go for a pit bull.
Don’t these people READ???? Why would ANYONE have a PIT BULL??? IDIOTS...sad, pathetic loser idiots.
Chows are nasty dogs also.
To be sure, the irresponsible owner of that Pit Bull would perish, too. Not by the Pit Bull's jaws, but by my hand.
What better reason to ban the dangerous animal than to save your own skin.
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