LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The Lubbock City Council gave final approval to revise the city ordinance concerning dangerous dogs in a 4-3 vote Tuesday afternoon.
The updated ordinance clarifies the definition of a dangerous dog to match state law, as a dog that causes bodily injury to a person while outside its enclosure and unprovoked. Lubbock Animal Services Director Steven Greene says that also includes if a dog shows propensity for violent acts that would cause a reasonable person to think they would be harmed.
The revision also increases the required liability insurance from $250,000 to $1 million and extends the compliance period from 15 days to 30 days.
Laura Hopper and her daughter, Madelyn, own one of 11 dogs officially declared dangerous by the City of Lubbock. They spoke against the ordinance changes during public comments.
“My dog is not a bad dog. It’s just unfortunate that something really tragic can happen like this to a citizen that really is trying to follow all the rules,” Laura Hopper said.
Hopper says her neighbor let their dog out while she wasn’t home in April, leading her dog, Dixon, to get out of their yard. She said Dixon was on the front porch when a runner came by the house.
“And ran toward him and gave him eye contact because apparently she was nervous and he probably took that as a threat. Australian Shepherds are herding dogs. And so he chased after her apparently. He never left our property and somehow tackled her, which I was astounded that my pet would ever do that,” Hopper said.
After the incident while still under the old ordinance, the Hoppers had 15 days to come into compliance after their dog was declared dangerous. Those requirements included registering the dog, keeping it on a leash and muzzled in public, building an enclosure with signage if the dog is outside without the owner, neutering or spaying the animal, paying a $200 permit and obtaining $250,000 in liability insurance.
The revised ordinance now gives dangerous dog owners 30 days to reach compliance, but increases the liability insurance to $1 million.
Hopper told council members her current insurance costs $1,000 per year and would jump to $2,000 per month under the new requirements.
“We follow everything. We do everything that we’re supposed to do, and now we’re getting penalized even more by using and following a million-dollar liability because other people are doing it,” Hopper said.
Taylor Ruggles, assistant director of Lubbock Animal Services, told council members that after contacting several insurance companies, most had $1 million policies with yearly premiums closer to $1,500 to $3,500 per year.
Director Steven Greene said he fought for the change because his first priority is public safety. He hopes it will become a deterrent to keep people from keeping violent, dangerous animals.
“I feel for those families that are going to have to put more financially into it, but I also feel for the victims of those attacks prior,” Greene said. “We have cases where no matter how bad the injuries are, the person does not want to give their dog up. And so that’s just going to guarantee that if that dog happens to do anything again, they’re going to have the coverage to cover that. And it’s going to hopefully make the city safer by having less dangerous dogs kept in the city.”
Hopper said the change should concern every pet owner in Lubbock.
“I really am at my heart, my advocacy, urgency is just to let people be aware of how serious this can happen and change your lives. And do better public education as to knowing, yeah, I don’t have a dangerous dog. That’s what I thought last April,” Hopper said.
A few council members encouraged the city to help connect pet owners to more affordable insurance options. The city attorney said that could be possible, but the city cannot endorse any one company.
Council members Gordon Harris, David Glasheen and Christy Martinez-Garcia voted against the agenda item.
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