SAN ANTONIO – Some state politicians said they are not giving up on addressing dangerous dog cases in Texas.
State Senator José Menéndez sponsored House Bill 4759, also known as the Ramon Najera Act, in 2023 after Najera was mauled by two pit bulls. Gov. Greg Abbott eventually vetoed the bill.
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Menéndez told KSAT that he is refilling the bill and is not losing hope.
“We’re going to refile the bill because we think that these are the types of protections that the people in the whole state need,” Menéndez said. “This may not be an issue in every corner of the state, but it is an issue in communities where people sometimes threaten their neighbors against enforcing the law.”
Menéndez clarified that the bill is not about a random dog that won’t stop barking late at night.
“This is about dangerous dogs who have attacked other animals,” Menéndez said. “We have some cases that killed other animals or who have potentially bitten someone.”
The bill was originally approved by the state’s House and Senate. Menéndez said he was unsure why Abbott vetoed the bill.
“The governor never gave us a heads up, that he thought it was something that would be vetoed,” Menéndez said. “We won’t give up. We’re going to come back, and we’re going to continue to educate people.”
Incidents across San Antonio
On Monday, a one-year-old child was killed following a pit bull attack. Last week, there were two separate attacks involving pit bulls. One was a young boy and a 30-year-old pet owner.
Last year in San Antonio, Max de los Santos was nearly killed when a pack of dogs charged him. That same year, Paul Striegl and Ramon Najera were both killed by pit bulls, investigators said.
San Antonio and Bexar County elected officials point to state law as to why they are unable to do more to place stronger restrictions on pit bulls and other so-called “dangerous breeds.”
The Texas law
Banning specific dog breeds is illegal in Texas. The law states that a county or municipality may place requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs as long as they are not specific to any breed.
“Hopefully, in the process, people will understand and realize that their dogs can be very dangerous,” Menéndez said. “No one wants to think that they own an animal that could hurt somebody, but we all need to be prepared for that reality.”
If a dog has incidents where they may have harmed another person or animal, Menéndez believes officials need to keep a close eye on them.
“At the end of the day, I believe that the governor’s office will agree with us that we need to make our community safer,” Menéndez said.
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