Should the state ban pit bulls?

EDINBURG -- Pit bulls and their vicious attacks have become a "serious problem" in Hidalgo County, a local judge said earlier this week.

Justice of the Peace Charlie Espinoza said he believes the government needs further control over pit bulls so they cannot attack innocent bystanders or children.

"I would like to get some kind of serious ordinance or legislation or anything we might get," he told the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court on Tuesday.

Espinoza's public outcry came following two recent pit bull attacks that killed a young child and maimed another for life.

On Aug. 8, the 2-year-old daughter of Marissa Abrego of rural Edinburg was paralyzed and lost sight in one eye after the family pit bull mauled the child. Abrego faces felony charges for allegedly leaving the toddler unattended with the dog.

And on June 18, a pit bull attacked and killed 5-year-old Pablo Lopez of rural Weslaco.

"Someone needs to speak out for the children ... that are dying," Espinoza said in an interview Thursday.

Less than 1 percent of stray dogs picked up by Hidalgo County officials are pit bulls. That means the dogs are not randomly wandering the streets, said Eduardo Olivarez, who heads the Hidalgo County Health Department.

Rather, they are in the yards of homeowners and families who need to watch after their animals, Olivarez said.

"I'm not an expert, but I would feel very cautious about having a violent dog like a pit bull or Rottweiler in close proximity to any child," he said.

Not everyone is trying to cast pit bulls in a negative light, however.

Darin Landrum, executive director of the Palm Valley Animal Center, a private, nonprofit animal welfare agency in Edinburg, said although pit bulls are stronger than most other dog breeds, those that turn vicious largely are products of a negative environment - not their genetics.

"I have friends who have some of the nicest pit bulls and the meanest Chihuahuas," he said.

State legislators have recently passed legislation against pit bulls, but Espinoza maintains he wants the animals banned.

A state law enacted in September 2007 boosted the penalty against owners of vicious dogs that attack people off their own property. Known as "Lillian's Law" - named for a woman who died after she was attacked by a pack of pit bulls - the measure allows felony charges to be brought against owners of unrestrained dogs that harm or kill innocent bystanders.

State Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, said Lillian's Law helps victims of vicious dog attacks find justice. If it is properly enforced, the law could encourage pit bull owners to properly restrain their pets.

"The owners have to take the responsibility to make sure the dog does not have access to the child," she said. "If the dog is dangerous and you have a child, then don't have that dog."

But Gonzales said she questions whether a sweeping law could be passed that would ban pit bulls altogether.

"You're looking at a person's right to choose to have their dog versus ... public safety," she said.

Espinoza said he and other county leaders, together with other justices of the peace, would sit down in the coming weeks to consider drafting a resolution to lobby the state to impose even greater restrictions on pit bulls and vicious dogs.

"I don't know what it's going to take," Espinoza said, "but I would like to see something done."

____

Monitor staff writer Jackie Leatherman contributed to this report.

____

Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.