Reginald Welton, 38, faces two to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced by state District Judge Mike Lynch on April 6. Welton waived trial by jury.
Welton, who owns the mobile food trailer Reggie’s, testified today that he been visiting family in Beaumont and had left the dogs in the care of a friend when the attack occurred.
State District Judge Mike Lynch said that Welton was negligent in not securing his flimsy backyard fencing knowing that the dogs had escaped a month and a half earlier.
“It’s pretty common knowledge that energetic dogs … get bored and restless and look around for things to do,” Lynch said. “It seems to me that a prudent person, once his young pit bulls have escaped … would have gone back and looked at that backyard and made major changes.”
The conviction is the first in Travis County under Lillian’s Law, which in 2007 made the failure to secure dogs that then cause bodily injury a felony crime. If someone dies, it becomes a second-degree felony.
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- Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:42 am
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Austin dog owner convicted of felony
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