SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio City and Bexar County elected officials point to Texas state law as to why they are not able to do more to place stronger restrictions on pit bulls and other so-called “dangerous breeds.”
In Texas, it’s illegal to ban specific dog breeds.
“Sec. 822.047. LOCAL REGULATION OF DANGEROUS DOGS. A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions:
(1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and
(2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.”
Some of the incidents across San Antonio
On Monday, a one-year-old child was killed following a pit bull attack. Last week, there were two separate attacks involving pit bulls. One was a young boy and a 30-year-old pet owner.
In 2023, in San Antonio, Max de los Santos was nearly killed when a pack of dogs charged him. That same year, Paul Striegl and Ramon Najera were both killed by pit bulls, according to investigators.
What are city leaders saying?
County and city leaders have challenged state laws in the past, but this is not one of those instances.
Sheriff Javier Salazar points to the issue of pet owners’ responsibility. He says banning one breed would mean banning all breeds.
Judge Peter Sakai was not available for comment, and other elected county officials did not reply to KSAT’s email request.
KSAT also reached out to the members of the San Antonio Public Safety Committee to ask if they would consider a ban on a specific dog breed.
“No, we aren’t considering that. And it’d be irresponsible to do that,” District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said. “The problem isn’t dog breeds; it’s the owners who train their dogs to be aggressive and allow them to roam the streets.”
Dr. Sukh Kaur, District 1 Councilmember sent the following statement, “We understand that state law prohibits breed-specific legislation but we are reviewing increased fines and other policies regarding stricter enforcement on negligent owners of animals or those that have already shown aggression in the community. City Council just recently had a B-Session and discussed reviewing where advocacy at the state level can potentially support proposed local changes.”
District 6 Councilwoman and committee chair Melissa Cabello-Havrda told KSAT in an interview that she does not support a ban but could support other changes, like mandating pet owners spay and neuter their animals.
“That I’m 100%. I think there (are) two things that would solve our issue, and this is my opinion on it,” she said. “I think it’s spay and neuter, and it’s pet owner education. Both of those things, I think, would go a long way in solving our problems.”
The City of San Francisco is one of the few cities that puts stronger restrictions on pit bull owners. The animals are allowed to be owned as long as they are spayed or neutered.
However, a ban on pit bulls or a specific breed of dog does not seem to be something Havrda would support.
“Some could do that. That’s always an option. And we have taken stands on other issues and we’ve been successful. This is just not something that I believe the community has asked me to take up and that I would I would take up,” she said. “If (the) community asked? I mean, I very much believe in representative government of the people that I represent if our city (tells) us we want to ban pit bulls. We want to ban Rottweilers; we want to ban Doberman pinchers. I have to look at it. I mean, absolutely.”
A change in the county would require a change in state law. KSAT reached out to all state representatives and senators in the San Antonio/Bexar County area for comment.
Senator Jose Menendez was the only one to return a comment at the time of publication.
“We have witnessed too many horrific tragedies where innocent lives are lost or irrevocably changed due to the gross negligence of dog owners,” the statement reads. “Despite overwhelming evidence highlighting a prevalent issue of dangerous dogs, Governor Abbott chose to veto a crucial bill aimed at ensuring responsible pet ownership and enhancing public safety. The safety of our communities must come first. It is essential that we implement stricter laws to protect our communities and hold negligent owners responsible. We must work together to enact meaningful change and prevent further tragedies. May the child rest in peace and may their family find healing.”
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