Oct
7 Year Prison Term For Owners of Dogs Who Killed Child
A couple from Texas whose Pit Bull terriers fatally attacked a 7-year-old child have been sentenced to 7 years on jail.
The conviction is the first under a new Texas legislation named ‘Lillians Law’.
The legislation holds owners of dogs responsible if their animals kill or injure someone in an unprovoked, off-property attack.
Crystal Michelle Watson and Jack Wayne Smith are the first people to be found guilty under the law which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years.
Tanner Joshua Monk was attacked back in Man as he walked by the dog owner’s house to play with some friends.
The dogs were euthanised.
The 2007 Texan legislation us called “Lillian’s Law” in honor of a 76-year-old lady who lost her life in 2005 following an attack by a pack of 6 dogs.
Do you think the UK should introduce stiffer penalties for owners of dogs who kill or injure?
Have your say below.
Its good to see a community which targets the OWNERS of vicious dogs, and identifies viscious dogs by their actions, not by their breed or breed type.
I applaud Texas for not succumbing to irrational fear of pit bulls; and not deciding the solution is breed specific legislation! I agree that owners of vicious dogs should be held accountable.
i totally agree that owners should be held responsible, to me an owner who raises a dog to be viscous has firstly got to have some sort of a screw loose and shouldnt be on the streets themselves! In their hands a dog becomes a weapon thats capable in some cases of causing just as much damage but with little or no consequence to the owner.there have been so many incidents were i live that people feel they have to be on guard when walking their dog (or child)in the park for fear they’ll be attacked as once dogs attack theres very little you can do to get them off and their owners stand by and watch. police dont seem to know how to deal with it themselves and just do nothing! id love to see some sort of real punishment but i think itl be a long long way off as in this country the law is more often than not on the side of the criminal