By: Rita Cook
AUSTIN – Plano resident Donna Macey was happy several weeks ago when her State Representative Mihaela Plesa, District 70, posted on X that she had signed on to HB2806 by San Antonio State Rep John Lujan.
The bill enhances penalties for dangerous dog attacks.
Plesa said, “This has been an important issue to our HD70 residents, and I am proud of the strides we’re taking to improve public safety.”
She also thanked Macey for her continued advocacy regarding the legislation.
The bill passed in the House Public Health Committee, one small step for it to reach Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk again.
A bill by Lujan addressing dangerous dog attacks was vetoed during the last session because the governor said he believed existing state penalties for irresponsible dog owners were enough.
Not enough for Macey or any pet owner who has lost a pet due to a vicious dog attack.
In Macey’s case she lost her beloved Yorkie Abby who died of a cruel dog attack while the family was out walking in April 2023.
After that time Macey began an awareness campaign called “Justice for Abby” but she said she felt no one was listening or cared on the city level.
She spoke at the Plano City Council meeting in June of 2023 offering a timeline for the gruesome event leading up to Gabby’s death.
Macey and her family were walking Abby and two other leashed pets on their daily walk on Cherokee Trail in Plano. She said suddenly her family was attacked from behind by two large loose pit mix dogs.
“My spouse was knocked to the ground twice sustaining dragging injuries, and numerous broken front teeth,” Macey explained.
It was worse however since Gabby, her 11-pound Yorkie was “torn apart.”
Neighbors had seen the incident and one who ran to help was also bitten numerous times.
Macey’s spouse needed facial plastic surgery and is permanently scarred.
Five neighbors caught the incident on their RING videos showing the horrendous experience.
Macey said they immediately drove to the Emergency Animal Hospital of Collin County with Gabby, but her injuries were too severe and she died.
“At that time an individual came into this same facility while Gabby was being treated looking for her two large dogs that had been found and brought to the clinic,” Macey said. “Only one dog had a microchip.”
Turned out the two dogs (the same dogs who had attacked the family and killed Gabby) were unregistered, unvaccinated, and had been off leash, but were still released back to the owner, according to Macey.
Macey explained there was a police report filed with multiple witness statements as well as a “vicious dog” notarized affidavit, but nothing was done.
On May 17 Macey said the Plano Animal Control did rule that one dog was vicious. There were fines given, but Macey was still left very unsettled. She said she believed the city did little to assure an incident like this did not happen to another pet owner.
And worse, Gabby was gone.
Macey said she believed the City of Plano Police Dept, the Plano Animal Control and the Emergency Animal Hospital of Collin County failed her.
Since that day Macey has been working hard to bring awareness to changing legislation to “hold irresponsible pet owners responsible/accountable with a significant increase in fines, stiffer penalties and euthanasia of dogs that kill.”
With HB2806 she sees the possibility of that happening.
Lujan has pushed for his bill again during this session with some alterations and he hopes Abbott will see the significance of it this time around. In Lujan’s district vicious dog attacks took the life of an elderly man Ramon Najera who was mauled and killed in 2023 due to a dog attack. There was also the death of one-year-old Jiriyah Johnson who died due to a vicious dog attack while at a babysitter’s home.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, an estimated 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year, with an estimated 800,000 requiring medical attention.
According to the Department of State Health Services, children account for approximately half of all dog bite victims, with the elderly being the second most common group of victims. HB 2806 seeks to address this issue by authorizing an applicable animal control authority to investigate an incident when a report on a dangerous dog is made by observing and documenting the behavior of the dog or by examining the sworn statements of any witnesses. It also emphasizes holding dog owners accountable.
