A 49-year-old woman was left badly hurt Friday morning on San Antonio's South Side after a pit bull attacked her near the 1700 block of Martinez Losoya Road, dragging her and biting the left side of her body. Witnesses told deputies the mauling caused heavy blood loss. Paramedics rushed her to University Hospital, where officials say she has since stabilized. Animal control officers later seized the dog, and the owner was cited.
According to News 4 San Antonio, the attack happened at about 10 a.m. Deputies ultimately found the dog and its owner after the owner initially left the scene. Investigators say the owner first claimed she had shot the dog, a statement they later determined was not true.
The owner was hit with three citations, for dogs running free of restraint, failure to vaccinate for rabies, and a dangerous dog attack causing bodily injury. Bexar County Animal Care Services took custody of the pit bull, which is now in a mandatory 10-day quarantine.
What the law says
Under HB 108, the measure commonly called "Lillian's Law," dog owners can face criminal charges if their dog makes an unprovoked attack outside the owner's property that causes serious bodily injury or death. The statute allows prosecutors to pursue felony charges and gives courts authority to order a dog destroyed or impose civil penalties, according to the Texas Legislature. In some cases, civil penalties can reach up to $10,000.
Local context
South Side residents are not exactly strangers to frightening dog-attack headlines. San Antonio has logged several high-profile maulings and serious dog cases in recent years, some of which have led to felony charges or drawn-out court fights. That track record has cranked up pressure on animal-control officials and prosecutors and stirred public debate over quarantine rules and dangerous-dog designations, as reported by the Express-News.
The cluster of cases has also turned repeat-offender enforcement into a political flashpoint for neighbors and local leaders who are tired of reading about yet another attack.
What happens next
Investigators with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and animal-control officials are reviewing the citations and the circumstances of Friday's mauling while the victim continues to recover, according to News 4 San Antonio. The dog will remain in a 10-day quarantine as authorities decide whether to pursue additional enforcement or refer the case to prosecutors.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the attack or has video of the incident to contact the Bexar County Sheriff's Office as they work to piece together the full sequence of events.
