Irresponsible dog owner

[Texas_Blaze]

Today neighbors had their pitbull in their front yard, no leash. According to TX law a dog has to be on a leash if it's a "dangerous dog", plus a muzzle. I pulled out of my driveway, back of the car facing their house. I see the dog loose so I back up and the guy says what's your problem? I said your dog has to be on a leash, he tells me we will have a problem if I don't get off his property, I'm still in my car in the middle of the street. I told him it's a public road, I reached for my phone to take a picture of the loose dog. Left the phone in the house, she tells me first it doesn't need a leash on her property and then says it's a different dog. I told them I'm calling animal control and went home to get my phone. Go back down the street and the dog was by their garage between their cars and the guy stands so I couldn't get a picture. I had my wife call animal control. A couple hours later a sheriff comes to my house telling me to stop harassing them. The only reason I saw the dog in the first place was because the guy was standing in his driveway with his arms extended straight up as if to say "what are you going to do". They tried to tell the sheriff I'm the bad guy. Of course I had no picture of the dog so it's my word against their word. Sheriff tells me to avoid them, but I'm thinking they are the ones breaking the law.

1. Where in the law is what you say?
2. A pit bull isn’t necessarily a dangerous dog. Did it attack you or you know of documented attacks?
3. Does the law apply to personal property (yard)?
4. Did you quote the law to the sheriff? What was his response to the law?

[03Lightningrocks]

The City of Plano has a leash law that applies any time your animal is out of your fenced property. This includes in the front yard.

[chasfm11]

"Dangerous dog" is a label that only be given to an individual dog as the result of a court proceeding, in my understanding. My dog was attacked and nearly killed by a pit bull while I was walking her on a proper leash on a public roadway. The animal control officer from our city who responded to our call after the attack said that we had a nearly zero percent chance of having the attacking dog declared a dangerous dog. It may have been possible if my dog had actually died, the animal control officer told me, but even then would not have been assured.

My sister, who lives in Pennsylvania, had a pit bull jump her back fence and nearly kill one of her dogs. She was successful in court in getting the attacking dog declared a Dangerous Dog. That carries with it a set of requirements.
1. Requirement to acquire and maintain a large liability insurance policy
2. A sign on the house declaring the Dangerous Dog status
3. The requirement for the dog to be muzzled while in public.

The owner of the attacking dog, acting as her own lawyer, was able to get the Dangerous Dog ruling overturned in an appeals court by showing pictures of her dog with children.

I believe in punishing people who are caught in the act of being irresponsible. I do not believe that all pit bulls are bad but I now believe than any dog whose owner is so irresponsible as to allow it the opportunity to attack and injure another dog or a person should automatically have to have the animal be declared a Dangerous Dog with the possibility of a re-review of the dog after a couple of years. Unless and until we hold owners responsible for the actions of the pets, we are guaranteeing that there will be more attacks.

[striker55]

Today neighbors had their pitbull in their front yard, no leash. According to TX law a dog has to be on a leash if it's a "dangerous dog", plus a muzzle. I pulled out of my driveway, back of the car facing their house. I see the dog loose so I back up and the guy says what's your problem? I said your dog has to be on a leash, he tells me we will have a problem if I don't get off his property, I'm still in my car in the middle of the street. I told him it's a public road, I reached for my phone to take a picture of the loose dog. Left the phone in the house, she tells me first it doesn't need a leash on her property and then says it's a different dog. I told them I'm calling animal control and went home to get my phone. Go back down the street and the dog was by their garage between their cars and the guy stands so I couldn't get a picture. I had my wife call animal control. A couple hours later a sheriff comes to my house telling me to stop harassing them. The only reason I saw the dog in the first place was because the guy was standing in his driveway with his arms extended straight up as if to say "what are you going to do". They tried to tell the sheriff I'm the bad guy. Of course I had no picture of the dog so it's my word against their word. Sheriff tells me to avoid them, but I'm thinking they are the ones breaking the law.

1. Where in the law is what you say?
2. A pit bull isn’t necessarily a dangerous dog. Did it attack you or you know of documented attacks?
3. Does the law apply to personal property (yard)?
4. Did you quote the law to the sheriff? What was his response to the law?

Obviously you didn't read the previous post's, it's all explained previously. I did take the dog and owners to court. The judge declared the dog dangerous, the owners think they are above the law and can do what they want. I'm the bad guy for harassing them for defying the law.