The El Paso Animal Services is sharing more details about the incident where dogs attacked at least two people over the weekend in far east El Paso.
The dog attack happened Sunday in a neighborhood on Tierra Limon Drive.
Police said that at least two people were bitten.
A spokesperson for Animal Services said they have visited the home where the two dogs live twice before.
Animal Services said one of the calls resulted in a minor bite case.
The dog was quarantined at an animal hospital for 10 days.
They said two citations were handed out because of the incident.
The other call was in regard to the two dogs being out on the loose. A total of six citations were issued then.
El Paso Animal Services officials said there were no reports of the animals being vicious and aggressive.
In bite investigation cases, an owner does face the possibility of multiple citations, and each citation carries a max fine of up to $2,000.
But if the dogs had a record, why then were they not taken away from the owner?
We brought that question to an El Paso lawyer.
“A dog is a personal property of the owner, so you can’t take somebody’s personal property without due process," said Michael Gopin, a personal injury lawyer.
Gopin dealt with several dog bite cases throughout the years.
He said the dog needs to be deemed dangerous by a judge in order to potentially be taken away. He says the severity of the injury will help determine if the dog is deemed dangerous.
But even then, it could remain with its owner.
“There are certain requirements that the owner has to abide by to keep the dog. And that would be to register the dog to be as a dangerous dog, have homeowner insurance up to $100,000 for liability in case the dog bites somebody else, and third to always restrain the dog," said Gopin.
Gopin said the owner has 30 days after the dog is deemed dangerous to fulfill those requirements.
If they don’t, the dog could be taken away by animal services.
“11 days later if they don’t comply, the dog will be euthanized," said Gopin.
He said the owner could also face a civil lawsuit because of the injuries someone sustained.
“If it’s a severe injury, it could be a third-degree felony, which would be a $10k fine and between two and 10 years in prison. if there’s a death resulting from this dog attack then it would be upgraded to a second-degree felony," he said,
To report an animal-related concern or emergency within the City of El Paso, call 311.
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