Judge Alison Cox said the two dogs "caused serious bodily injury" and thus needed to be destroyed. She issued her order Tuesday morning after a brief hearing.
In her order, Galveston County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Cox denied the request by the dogs' owners, that according to court records are identified as Jose Quiroz and Beanira Cervantes de Iracheta, that the dogs be returned.
Note:
Beanira Cervantes De Iracheta, 32, detained for a driving-related offense
By Lonestardailynews.com, Texas City, TX. Mon Mar 9, 2015
Court records show too that animal control officers said the dogs were being kept in a dog run in the backyard of a house on 13th Avenue North in Texas City without food or water.
The address in court records differs from the one given by police the night of the attack.
And why is that???
While the family can appeal Cox's order in county court, Galveston County Animal Resource Center spokesman Scott Packard said the two adult dogs
involved in the attack are scheduled to be put down on Wednesday (7-12-2017).
A puppy that was with the two dogs in the kennel, but not a part of the attack, will be put up for adoption, Packard said.
EARLIER:
Hearing today for pit bulls involved in attack on boy in #TexasCityTX
The family of a 6-year-old boy who was attacked by two of the family's three pit bulls, will go before a justice of the peace today seeking to have the dogs returned.
On July 1, as the family moved into their new home in Texas City, the boy wandered to the backyard where an adult male, adult female and one female puppy pit bull were in their kennels, Texas City Police Department officials said.
His parents rushed him to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City before he was flown by air ambulance to the Texas Medical Center for treatment.
A responding officer who saw the boy at the Texas City hospital said the boy had bites around his neck and head.
The boy's condition since the attack has never been confirmed by officials, but his injuries were listed as non-life threatening at the time of the attack.
Police said there was nothing criminal involved in the attack citing that the family did the responsible thing and secured the dogs.
Still, it is up to animal control authorities to handle the investigation to determine whether the dogs should be returned or not. Animal control will make its recommendations to the judge and the family then gets to make its argument.
A judge will make a determination after that.
Scott Packard, the spokesman for the Galveston County Animal Resource Center, said that if the family had not wanted the dogs back the two adult pits would be euthanized, since they were involved in the attack.
The puppy, however, was determined to be a, "a sweet, happy and submissive dog," Packard said. If not returned to its family, that dog would be available for adoption, he said.
Um, look at this photo. The two attacking Pit Bulls also used to be "sweet, happy and submissive"... until they began to sexually mature.
However, the family did make a request for the dogs to be returned. So a hearing is set for this morning in Justice of the Peace Judge Alison Cox's court in Texas City.
There she will determine whether the dogs can be returned to the family. Even if she does decide the dogs can be returned, they will have to be classified as "dangerous" and certain restrictions will be placed on the dogs Packard said.
If Cox rules against the family, the animal resource center will move ahead and put the two adult dogs down and the puppy up for adoption.
The family, however, can appeal that decision to a County Court.
(i45NOW - July 11, 2017)
Earlier:
