HOUSTON – Yvonne Randall, 76, said she was attacked by her neighbor’s pit bull mix on March 26 and is still recovering from her injuries.
“I heard barking and these two dogs started charging at me from across the street,” said Randall.
The incident happened on Randall’s front yard and was caught on her home surveillance camera.
Randall said a smaller dog and a bigger dog came charging at her, and the bigger one started attacking her.
“I fell into the bushes her and then he started biting me,” said Randall. “I was just screaming and screaming. It was so scary.”
Randall said she spent the night at the hospital and is still receiving medical treatment.
“I have to go back next week to have a face check, and I’ve had to take four rabies shots,” said Randall.
Luckily, Randall did not lose consciousness and survived the attack. But that’s the case for others in recent weeks.
There have been a number of recent pit bull attacks in the Houston area.
On March 23, three pit bulls attacked and killed a woman on 8009 Wayside Village Drive.
On April 1, a pit bull mauled and killed a six-month old baby in Baytown.
According to the World Animal Foundation, from 2005 to 2020 67% of all fatal dog attacks in the U.S. were pit bulls.
But there are people who argue it is the fault of owners and not the breed of the dog.
According to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, some pit bulls were bred for their fighting ability, while others were bred specifically for companionship.
Pit bulls have long been popular family dogs, according to ASPCA.
In Randall’s incident, the dogs were unleashed when they chased after her. That’s despite the city of Houston having leash requirements.
KPRC 2 looked into the protections for people in the community.
We reached out to BARC Animal Shelter in the city of Houston to find out the steps people can take to declare a dog dangerous.
BARC tells KPRC people can file a sworn statement either with the Harris County Justice of the Peace courts or directly through them.
In the city of Houston, you can declare a dog dangerous, aggressive or a public nuisance.
Once receiving the complaint, BARC will open a formal investigation to declare the dog. It’s a process that could take weeks, according to BARC.
If a dog is declared dangerous, BARC will issue a written owner to the dog’s owner requiring the dog to be microchipped, wear a dangerous dog tag, wear a muzzle and be sterilized.
If a dog causes death or serious bodily injury like in Randall’s case, a hearing will be set in municipal court where a judge will decide the fate of the dog. An owner has 15 days to appeal the judge’s decision.
Currently in the city of Houston, there are no breed-specific restrictions.
We did find in the city of Magnolia, pit bulls are presumed dangerous dogs, which means they are subject to requirements such as a leash no more than four feet in length, a properly fitted muzzle when the dog is outside, confinement when not leashed or muzzled, and proper display of signs.
