On November 26, 2005, Lillian Stiles, who was 76 years old, was riding her lawnmower in the front yard when she was viciously mauled to death by a pack of six Pit Bull/Rottweiler dogs. Although criminal charges were leveled against the dogs’ owner, he was found innocent of criminally negligent homicide. Outraged by the events, Texas Senator Eliot Shapleigh sponsored H.B. 1355, which imposed strict penalties for owners of violent dogs in Texas. In memory of Mrs. Stiles, the bill was referred to as, “Lillian’s Law.”
Since then, victims of dog bites have been able to take advantage of the 2007 law. Specifically, the bill enacted section 822.005 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. This law punishes owners who, with criminal negligence, fail to secure their dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack at a location other than the owner’s property. The punishment is a third degree felony unless the attack results in death, in which case, it is a second degree felony.
So to owners of dangerous dogs, beware: you could face stiff criminal penalties for the attacks of your dog and possibly even find yourself in civil court for negligence. And to those who are victims of unprovoked dog attacks, remember Lillian’s law; it may just help you to protect your rights.
