Neighbors say that pit bull attack on 9 year old girl could have been prevented

In Texas, neighbors are angry at local animal control authorities in Killeen after a 9 year girl was the victim of a pit bull attack.  They claim that they had called multiple times about two pit bulls which had been menacing people from the neighborhood even though they were tied up in a fenced yard.  For their part authorities claim that they were out to the home three times and did not see evidence that the dogs were vicious.  The attack happened when one of the pit bulls got loose and out of the yard and severely injured the girl by biting her.

Chicago has a notably strict dangerous dog ordinance.  It has several definitions of what a dangerous dog is.  One them includes a dog that on more than one occasion without provocation menaces a person outside of the owners property or on the public way.  That would include barking aggressively, lunging, growling, and leaping at people on the sidewalk.

Once a dog is declared dangerous by animal control, the owners must comply with a number of requirements, including neutering the dog (which tends to reduce aggressiveness), buying liability insurance, muzzling and leashing the dog off property, dog training classes, and building a pen for the dog on the property.

If you have concerns about a dog in the neighborhood that you think would be a hazard to children or senior citizens in the neighborhood, you should contact Animal Control to see whether the dog should be declared dangerous or not.