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Parents Could Face Charges After Son Is Mauled to Death By Family Pit Bull

For the Warren family of Dallas, the last day of August, 2007 will live first and foremost in their minds. On that day, their 6-year-old child was fatally attacked by the family pit bull. Now, the parents could face criminal charges, reports NBC affiliate KXAN-TV in Austin.

Attack Came One Day Before New Dog Attack Law Hits Books

The attack came one day before a new state law takes effect in which dog owners whose pets attack and seriously injure someone could face up to 10 years in prison. In the case of fatal attacks, the law, known as “Lillian’s Law,” carries a sentence of up to 20 years. The new legislation evolved from the 2005 fatal mauling of 76-year-old Lillian Stiles by six pit bull-Rottweiler mixes in Central Texas. A pit bull was also responsible for killing a 10-year-old girl in San Antonio earlier this year.

The dog attacked while six-year-old Scott Warren was at home with his 13-year-old sibling when the dog attacked. Police would not say whether the parents will be charged. Animal control officers removed the dog from the home. Typically, dogs are euthanized after fatal attacks.

CBS11TV.com quoted Dallas Police Sgt. Gil Cerda as saying "When the mother came inside the house, she saw the dog attacking the 6-year-old and tried to restrain the dog. By that time, a lot of damage had been done." The boy died en route to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Neighbors Previously Had Seen Mother Beating Dog With A Shovel

The Warrens said their 1-year-old dog had no history of violent behavior. But the Dallas Morning News reported neighbor Rudy Lopez saw the mother beating one of their dogs with a shovel after it had gotten into a fight with another dog. Another neighbor, Anthony Mack, said he didn’t understand why a child would be left inside with one of the animals.

The pit bull’s lineage is traced to bulldogs and terriers from England, where they were used as guard dogs and trained to fight. According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, the improper socialization and lack of training of a pit bull can result in a aggressive tendencies.

A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study from 1979-98 revealed one third of all fatal dog attacks were committed by pit bulls.

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