Texas dog attacks: A look at recent tragedies and local action

Fannie Pearl Pharms was a candy, variety, elder and was all the time keen to share her loving spirit with anybody with whom she got here involved. However all that got here to an abrupt finish when she was mauled to demise by her Sunnyside neighbor’s canines.

Longtime Houston activist Cynthia Pharms traces the roots of her multi-faceted activism again to that tragedy. Fannie Pearl Pharms was her aunt.

Fannie Pearl Pharms. Courtesy: Cynthia Pharms.

“She was a Christian woman who simply went to church, dwelling, and work on daily basis. So, I needed to push to get one thing achieved with laws as a result of canines have been consuming individuals,” mentioned Pharms.

“It was two pit bulls and a Rottweiler that killed her within the neighborhood. I didn’t understand till after my aunt was killed that there have been so many seniors out right here and younger individuals who wanted assist with canine assaults,” mentioned Pharms. “Individuals within the neighborhood warned the neighbors for a lot of days about these canines, and no one did something about it.

NATIONAL RANKING

In accordance with the US Postal Service’s nationwide rating of cities the place probably the most canine assaults on mail carriers occurred in 2023, California and Texas topped the checklist for the second 12 months in a row.

Los Angeles postal employees suffered 65 assaults in comparison with 56 endured by Houston mail carriers in 2023. Statewide, Texas mail carriers skilled 411 assaults in comparison with California’s 727.

These numbers, nevertheless, don’t embody canine assaults on individuals who aren’t postal workers.

In early December, a five-year-old lady in Los Angeles County, California, was attacked and killed by her household canines at their dwelling.

The canines concerned have been a 10-year-old Rottweiler and a 6-year-old Rottweiler combine, canines the kid interacted together with her complete life.

Basic inhabitants canine assault stats are exhausting to seek out, if in any respect. However what’s not exhausting to seek out are examples of canine assaults in Houston and throughout the state, which have led to critical accidents, trauma, and even demise.

HOUSTON

In late August, in North Harris County, a lady pushing a two-year-old in a stroller was attacked by a unfastened pit bull within the 20900 block of Manon Lane. The canine attacked and bit the kid and the lady who tried to cease the canine. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman mentioned the canine was taken into custody by Animal Management.

In one other incident, a two-year-old lady died in a relative’s dwelling after being mauled by that household’s three Rottweilers within the 2500 block of Milwaukee Road in July. And in February, six-year-old Christian Andres was attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull that reportedly broke off its leash. Andres was bitten a number of instances, ensuing within the first grader spending three weeks within the hospital and confined to a wheelchair whereas recovering.

CLEVELAND, TX

Simply days earlier than that California tragedy, an ABC13 report revealed a number of residents of Cleveland, TX (Liberty County) “dwelling in terror” after experiencing three canine assaults in two days.

A kind of residents, Emily Curtis, mentioned she was surrounded by a “mob” of seven canines on Thanksgiving proper outdoors her dwelling. Three of these canines, she says, bit her on her legs, arms and buttocks.

A day earlier than that, the identical pack of canines reportedly attacked a FedEx supply driver and one other particular person within the neighborhood.

Curtis added that the identical canines attacked her neighbors the day earlier than.

“I’m on alert. I’ve mace, and I’ve a hammer,” Curtis mentioned. “I am going upstairs and have a look at the road and ensure there aren’t any canines on the market earlier than I am going outdoors.”

Curtis claims the Liberty County Sheriff’s Workplace has been woefully inept at capturing these animals, which have been nonetheless on the unfastened as of this text’s publication.

“They simply ignore the state of affairs, and their ignorance allowed this to occur,” Curtis mentioned.

The Defender reached out to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Workplace for feedback, however haven’t obtained a response on the time of publication.

BRAZORIA COUNTY

One other latest canine assault occurred a three-year-old Brazoria County boy who was attacked by a household canine, leading to accidents to his legs and again.

Though the injuries have been non-life threatening, the toddler was transported to the hospital by Life Flight because of the quantity of accidents. Investigators revealed two canines have been within the dwelling, however it’s unclear if each canines attacked the boy. Nonetheless, each canines have been taken into custody by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Workplace of Animal Welfare.

LOCAL AND STATE ACTIONS

“After my aunt was killed, there was not a legislation handed for canine bites. You needed to be bit twice by a canine earlier than one thing may very well be achieved about it within the state of Texas. So, me and my help group, we received collectively, and we had foot troopers throughout Texas who received petitions going. I spoke at many city corridor conferences, stayed within the media, on the radio, TV, and we needed to go to the State Legislature twice for it,” mentioned Pharms.

The “it” Pharms refers to is Home Invoice 1355, which handed after her group’s second go-round in Austin, in accordance with Pharms, as a result of between 8-to-10 extra individuals statewide died from canine assaults between the primary try at passing the “Canine Invoice” and when it really handed in 2007.

“These deaths might have been prevented if the invoice had handed the primary time,” mentioned Pharms.

So, in the future the canines mauled her they usually ate her brains. After they regurgitated the canines’ stomachs, flesh from her cranium got here out.

Cynthia Pharms

Home Invoice 1355 supplied stiffer penalties for canine house owners who attacked individuals. Senator Eliot Shapleigh sponsored the invoice within the Texas Senate, and it got here to be often called Lillian’s Legislation.

The invoice, which arguably would by no means have come to cross with out Pharms’ advocacy, was named after Lillian Stiles, a 76-year-old Thorndale, Texas lady who was killed whereas using a lawnmower within the entrance yard of her dwelling on Nov. 26, 2005.

MORE LOCAL ACTIONS

In April of this 12 months, BARC (3200 Carr St., Houston, 77026) expanded alternatives for Houstonians to give up stray animals and owned animals.

Jarrad Mears. Credit score: Metropolis of Houston.

“In 2023, BARC animal enforcement officers obtained 59,573 requires service, a rise of greater than 5,000 from 2022. This rise in name quantity is indicative of the rising wants of our neighborhood, and I’m once more pleased with our employees for being proactive and increasing consumption to additional deal with the stray animal disaster in Houston,” mentioned BARC Shelter Director Jarrad Mears.

Mears mentioned BARC’s complete consumption of stray pets (primarily canines and cats) was 19,209, “The very best of any municipal shelter within the Houston space.”

The hope is that extra animals in shelters imply fewer potential canine assaults by strays and extra canines discovering houses.

Nonetheless, this 12 months’s canine assault tragedies present extra nonetheless must be achieved.

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