Dangerous dog bites and attacks remain a problem in Texas.
Actions are being taken to find solutions at both the state and local levels. For some, the question has shifted to when solutions will be implemented and what is holding them back.
The 89th legislative session saw the introduction of a number of bills at the state level. Each was designed to help Texas establish a clear framework for dealing with dangerous dogs.
As the final gavel of the 2025 legislative session approaches, it’s becoming clearer where the bills stand.
State Representative John Lujan of San Antonio proposed House Bill 2806. If passed, it will increase criminal penalties for dog owners whose animals attack others without provocation and cause bodily harm.
Right now, the state follows Lillian’s Law, which was enacted in 2007 after Lillian Stiles was attacked and killed by dogs in her front yard. The law penalizes owners if a dog attack occurred off their property, was unprovoked, and resulted in serious bodily injury.
“If a dog causes bodily injury that does not rise to the level of serious bodily injury, nothing happens and no consequences,” said State Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio. Lujan’s HB 2806 seeks to include bodily injury in the state code.
“Could be dog bites, and people just get even knocked to the ground and hurt, could result in bodily injury, then we’re going to have (dog owners) be more responsible,” he said.
HB 2806 did make it out of committee and onto the House calendar, allowing it to be debated and voted on before the 12:01 a.m. Friday deadline.
Lujan stated that the bill targets all communities, not just large cities.
“What we really want to do is put this framework in place so that all the cities we know the same language,” claims Lujan.
Several additional dangerous dog bills were filed in the Texas House, but they died in committee and were never voted on by the May 13 deadline.
These include House Bill 1346, which would have increased criminal penalties for dog owners; House Bill 2325, which would have established a statewide dangerous dog registry; and House Bill 448, which would have permitted animal control agencies to work outside of their normal jurisdiction if necessary.
Their only chance of revival is to become an amendment to a bill on the floor.
Senate Bill 155 is also still in committee, but its deadline for passage by the Senate and receipt by the House is May 23.
“We don’t play this game,” Lujan said. “We want to do something significantly different, put a framework around to make sure that we, that we don’t impinge on responsible owners.”
Chapter 1
Houston dog bite trends
According to data from Houston’s animal shelter BARC, dog bites have steadily increased since 2022.
In 2022, there were 2,245 recorded dog bites within Houston city limits, with 836 requiring hospitalization.
In 2023, there were 2,341 recorded dog bites within Houston city limits, a 4.28% increase over the previous year, with 931 of those bites requiring hospitalization.
In 2024, there were 2,400 recorded dog bites within Houston city limits, a 2.52% increase over the previous year, with 1,024 of those bites requiring hospitalization.
The increase in dog bites did not surprise Daja Pringle, a mother who lost her child to a dog attack.
A’Daya Fisher, Pringle’s two-year-old daughter, was killed by a dog in July 2024 at the home of a babysitter. Three dogs were euthanized as a result.
“The babysitters just said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.'” “You need to come, there’s been an emergency, you need to come,” Pringle said as he recounted the events following the incident.
Pringle stated that after losing her daughter, she conducted extensive research into Houston’s dog bite and attack rates.
“It’s really difficult to find data and information on these situations. “I don’t think it’s taken seriously enough,” Pringle said. “I found like there’s been a lot of attacks, um, like with just U.S. Postal Workers in Houston lately, it’s been on the rise.”
According to the United States Postal Service Houston is second in the number of dog attacks on postal workers. Texas, as a state, ranks second.
“(We’ve) got to crack down on (dog bites and attacks). “It’s a serious issue, and the numbers are increasing,” Pringle said.
Pringle believes that passing any of the proposed bills would have been a step in the right direction.
“I just believe that extreme bodily injury should not be necessary. Why should we have to wait until someone is hurt or has passed away before taking it seriously? Pringle said, “We should act on it right now.”
Pringle said she’d like to meet with local or state officials to discuss her experience as a mother who lost her daughter to a dog attack.
“I find myself just lying in the bed rotting sometimes,” Pringle told me.
She stated that assistance for families affected by these losses is limited in some cases. She stated that she would like to explain how having assistance for affected families can help in the immediate aftermath of losing a child to a dog attack.
“(A’Daya) would like be doing her little jig with me and I’d always be her hype man,” Daja Pringle told me. “A’Daya was always a happy baby. “Everyone loved being around her,” Pringle explained. “Your child is supposed to bury you, you’re not supposed to bury your child.”
Chapter 2
Animal control funding
It’s a heartbreaking story that highlights a growing crisis in Houston.
For weeks, KHOU 11 contacted every City Council member and the Mayor’s office to determine what can and is being done to address growing concerns.
While Houston is Texas’ largest city, it has one of the state’s lowest animal care budgets when compared to other major cities.
“Does [having one of the smallest animal service budgets] surprise you,” asked Henderson.
“Yes, it’s awful, and it’s been that way for a long time,” said Sally Alcorn, an At-Large District Five Council Member.
KHOU 11 reviewed the approved fiscal year 2025 city budgets for San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
- San Antonio’s Animal Services Division received $32.3 million for FY 25.
- Austin’s Animal Services Division received $23.6 million for FY 25.
- Dallas’ Animal Services Division received $19.7 million for FY 25.
- Houston’s Animal Services Division received $15.2 million for FY 25.
“We’re the lowest funded shelter in the state of Texas,” said Cory Stottlemyer of BARC, Houston’s animal shelter.
Stottlemyer stated that BARC does not set its own budget. That responsibility falls to the City of Houston. The final decision is made by those who approve the budget, specifically the Mayor and City Council members.
“It’s a concern for all of us, you know, as a city,” At-Large District Two Council Member Willie Davis explained.
Davis is one of five council members interviewed by KHOU 11 on camera. The majority of the council members shared a personal story about the impact of dogs in neighborhoods.
BARC identified Districts B, D, F, and H as hotspots for dangerous and stray dogs. Three of the five city council members interviewed for this story were from the hotspot areas and shared their experiences or information received from constituents.
“When I was in the third grade, I was attacked by five dogs while walking home from school,” District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson said. Jackson said she’s not sure what would have happened if a bus driver hadn’t stopped and chased the dogs away with a branch. She recently gave BARC $40,000 to help pick up stray dogs in District B.
“I was block walking in a subdivision and was chased by um a dog.” Tiffany D. Thomas, a District F Council member, said. Thomas stated that a neighbor allowed her to jump into his truck bed while they worked to get the dogs away from her.
“I can tell you from spending time in my neighborhoods that there are some areas where you just don’t walk on the street because of the dog situation,” District H Council Member Mario Castillo said. Castillo also recognized those who had died as a result of dog attacks.
BARC receives tens of thousands of service calls each year, responding to approximately 60%. However, the response rate for the most urgent calls — Priority 1 and 2 calls, which include cases of animal cruelty, neglect, and bites — is significantly higher. BARC statistics show that these calls are increasing.
In 2022, BARC received 9,630 priority one and 4,106 priority two calls. They are classified as the most urgent situations, with response rates of 98.5% and 97.17 percent, respectively.
In 2023, BARC received 10,160 priority one and 5,191 priority two calls, with response rates of 98.16% and 97.42%, respectively.
In 2024, BARC received 11,084 priority one and 6,125 priority two calls, with response rates of 98.71% and 97.93%, respectively.
BARC data for 2025 is currently only available for January, February, and March. BARC received 2,547 priority one and 1,823 priority two calls, with 99% and 97.99% response rates, respectively.
“We know since 2019 priority one calls are up by 10% and priority two calls are up by 40%,” Stottlemyer informed the audience. “Based on our call volume, we see an increase in the number of bite cases. We are receiving more priority one and two service calls from the community.”
Stottlemyer stated that they are doing everything they can to handle their nearly 60,000 annual calls, but their current resources are limited.
“We have 28 (animal services) enforcement officers here,” Stottlemyer said. “Honestly, we could (use) triple if not more because like I said (priority one and two calls as well as animal attack case) numbers are going up.”
Last month, Stottlemyer stated that there were nine dogs on the dangerous dog registry and four pending, indicating that their owners were pursuing an appeal.
According to BARC, a dog that meets the criteria for being deemed dangerous is typically surrendered to the shelter. The appeals process requires owners to obtain $100,000 insurance liability for the animal, as well as go through the process of securing the animal and paying an additional annual fee to keep it registered with the city.
“There’s clearly a growing need based on the data there whether they follow through with the process that’s a different thing,” Stottlemyer observed. Everyone, including Mayor John Whitmire, has said that the number of calls, bites, and attacks cannot continue to rise or remain stagnant.
“Animal welfare is a priority for most of us,” Mayor Whitmire stated during a press conference to discuss the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
BARC’s funding remains virtually unchanged in the current FY 26 city budget proposal, as the city works to balance a major budget deficit of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. BARC’s FY 25 budget was approved at $15.24 million, while the proposed FY 26 budget is $15.55 million.
The current FY 25 budget has increased to $16,081,107. According to the city of Houston’s finance department, this is the result of several factors. When FY 25 was approved, it included the most accurate estimate of the city’s Ending Fund Balance. The city retains the original estimate, which was completed in March 2024. However, the Ending Fund Balance is only finalized after the City’s year-end audit by the Controller’s Office, which typically occurs in the fall. In the case of the FY 25 budget, more funds became available.
Council members stated that without knowing whether more money will be made available in FY 26, they must consider other financial options.
“We can be creative, lean on our nonprofit community who are tremendous partners, but we have to get serious about that and work with our state partners,” Thomas, a councilor, said. From FY 22-25, Thomas has allocated nearly $40,000 to address stray animals.
In FY 22, $18,365 was allocated to conduct stray animal sweeps as well as spay and neuter services. The sweeps brought in 43 dogs.
In FY 23, $6,461 was allocated to spay and neuter services.
In FY 24, $6,461 was allocated to spay and neuter services.
In FY 25, at least $3,750 was spent on microchipping owned pets. The total amount available for reimbursement will not be known until May. The total represents the approved CDSR fund. Since FY 25 is currently underway, any remaining reimbursement amount will be released in May.
BARC is also holding free microchip days at their shelter, which are sponsored by Districts F and A.
Council Members stated that there are additional ways to fund BARC’s needs.
“Maybe we’ll partner with our TIRZ,” Council Member Jackson suggested.
“I believe that we have, we can have a public, a private, you know, participation in a lot of areas in our city,” Davis, a councilor, said.
“I believe it will require a vote of the residents for any potential increase,” Council Member Alcorn stated.
“It really helps when we hear from constituents and the public directly,” Council Member Castillo said.
Especially hearing from people like Pringle, who understands the pain that these attacks can cause and leave behind.
“I am very serious about this subject, so I would absolutely, absolutely sit down with them and discuss what I feel like could really benefit us as a whole,” Pringle told me.
Pringle believes that a publicly available map of dangerous dogs could benefit everyone in Houston. Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Fort Bend County all have similar ideas.
According to Stottlemyer of BARC, the concept of a map has previously been proposed.
“So, we have someone in our department who is collaborating with the planning department and the GIS team to see what that might look like and what we could do. So it’s kind of in the works, but it’s definitely not ready. “It’s definitely more conceptual,” Stottlemyer said.
Stottlemyer stated that BARC will present its proposed budget to city council next Monday, May 19.
Chapter 3
What city councilmembers are saying
District J Council member Edward Pollard issued the following statement regarding stray and dangerous dogs:
“District J continues to take action and show compassion in dealing with stray and dangerous dogs. While Houston’s animal services funding lags behind that of other major Texas cities, we are achieving more with less through strategic partnerships and grassroots efforts.
Our collaboration with the Houston Humane Society, BARC, Team Feral, and HOPE demonstrates our commitment to a comprehensive approach, which includes neighborhood sweeps for aggressive animals, free spay/neuter programs, and responsible pet ownership education.
Programs like the nationally recognized Pets For Life initiative enable us to meet residents where they are by providing free veterinary care and supplies right to their door. These community-based solutions, which we offer for free to the public, not only improve safety but also promote a more humane and effective approach to managing our pet population.”
Twila Carter, Council Member at Large for Position Three, issued the following statement regarding stray and dangerous dogs:
“The ongoing concerns about dangerous and stray dogs are a serious issue in our city. Public safety and animal welfare are top priorities, and effective solutions necessitate adequate resources and support. Given Houston’s inadequate budget for animal services, as well as the challenges of enforcement, capacity, and outreach, I am convinced that public-private partnerships are necessary.
District G Council Member Mary Nan Huffman issued the following statement regarding stray and dangerous dogs.
“Animal control promotes public safety, which is a top priority for this city. I know our local animal control officers work hard to manage dangerous stray dogs, but we also need community support. Everyone can help by making sure their pets are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and properly confined.”
District C Council Member Abbie Kamin issued the following statement regarding stray and dangerous dogs:
“Addressing stray and dangerous animals in our city is a public safety issue, but it is also about providing compassionate care to pets so they do not end up on our streets.
I will continue to devote District C resources to animal welfare, including assisting rescue and foster groups in saving at-risk pets, collaborating with city staff to respond to dangerous animal incidents, funding spay/neuter programs, and more. If you see a stray or dangerous dog, or if you have any animal-related concerns, please call 311.
District I Council Member Joaquin Martinez:
“The increase in stray and dangerous dogs in Houston, particularly in District I, is cause for concern. While our office’s direct call volume is low, I am aware of the issue and am committed to working with BARC, partners, and the community to find solutions. As evidenced by our recent spay/neuter events, we are actively engaged, and I will carefully review the upcoming BARC budget to ensure resources are allocated to help address this issue.”
