A south Texas neighborhood is frustrated by threatening behavior from a pair of pit bulls. The two dogs recently killed a neighbor’s pet and charged at an older woman sitting on her porch. After the attack, neighbors fear similar dog bite incidents.
This attack happened on a Monday morning in Corpus Christi. A local family let its dog out into the yard where a group of other dogs attacked and killed it. The dog’s owner said his daughters were playing with the pet right before they let it outside. Another neighbor saw the attack and said that the dogs first ran towards his porch, charging his mother-in-law.
The elderly woman got up and ran into the house for safety. Apparently the pit bulls then turned across the street and mauled the other dog to death in the front yard. It is not clear why the attacking dogs were free to run around the neighborhood. Police arrived and confiscated the dogs until the owner pays undisclosed fines and complies with other requirements, presumably involving restraints or fences.
Some of the neighbors noted that animal control officers took the dogs on another occasion but that event did not seem to involve an attack.
Although pit bulls have a particularly vicious reputation, many dog breeds can display dangerous tendencies. Under certain conditions, pack behavior can lead groups of dogs to be more vicious than normal. If an owner knows that a dog has a dangerous propensity, the law will often hold the owner liable for injuries. Past attacks can be good evidence that an owner is aware of an animal’s propensity for viciousness.
Source: 6 KRIS TV, “Pit Bulls Attack Family Pet, Threaten Neighbor,” Janine Reyes, Aug. 20, 2012