SAN ANTONIO -- Two children have been killed in the San Antonio area in less than a week and in both cases the breed of dog responsible is the pit bull.
Pit bulls have been banned in cities and counties across the country because of attacks. The banning of pit bulls is a very sensitive issue for dog lovers, especially for responsible pit bull owners. But with two deaths in a week and dozens of attacks, lawmakers and citizens are wondering what, if anything, can and should be done.
Last week, a toddler was killed by a pit bull in the Lytle area. Tuesday morning,
a family's two pit bulls killed 8-month-old baby Izaiah Cox and attacked his grandmother. Just
two years ago, a pit bull killed 10-year-old Amber Jones.
"Hopefully, if you're a pit bull owner, you'll take heed to these things," San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus told News 4 WOAI.
No one argues that pit bulls can be dangerous. The argument centers around what makes them that way.
"There's a large number of people who own pit bulls," said Vincent Medley of Animal Care Services. "And, unfortunately, there's a large number of animals that are not properly supervised or properly trained."
So, should pit bulls be banned? News 4 WOAI asked several San Antonians that question.
"Maybe not ban them, maybe just have some kind of regulation," one person said.
"I'm for it," another said.
"Within the city, I think there should be more regulation on aggressive dogs like pit bulls that have a bad track record," a third person told News 4 WOAI.
News 4 WOAI also asked Vincent Medley of Animal Care Services if banning pit bulls is a possibility in Bexar County?
"That's a question that's up to lawmakers," Vincent Medley responded.
Right now, you can't ban a specific breed of animal in Texas. But Representative Herold Dutton out of Houston wants to try.
"Trying to make sure the owners are responsible is one thing," said Representative Dutton. "But when that doesn't work, I think we have to take a look at the breed itself to stop this before it goes any further."
Right now, 13 states across the nation have a pit bull ban, within various county or city limits.
