SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County judge denied a woman’s appeal to have a “dangerous dog” label lifted from her five puppies, following an incident with some of them late last year.
Kristin Cooper had eight French Bulldogs at her far Northwest Side home — five of them just 14-week-old puppies — when she says some of the dogs escaped through an unlatched gate in early November.
Cooper wasn’t home at the time, but was told her dogs went after some of her neighbors.
One neighbor said one of the adult dogs, Gumball, bit someone, but Cooper’s not sure about the others.
“I have no idea even what dog bit (another one of Cooper’s neighbors) because, per the investigator, they couldn’t identify,” Cooper said.
An Animal Care Services spokeswoman said three people were bitten in all, and there is video of the dogs repeatedly getting out, charging and threatening people.
Tuesday hearing ends in denied appeal
The dogs involved in the November incident were labeled “dangerous” and quarantined. Cooper has been working to get the label lifted.
A hearing on the incident had been scheduled for Dec. 22, though it was pushed to Jan. 13, with a judge ultimately ruling the label would stay in place.
“The decision that the judge made was that we should just appeal to county court, which is a higher level of court, to have them decide," said Michelle Maloney, Cooper’s attorney.
Cooper’s attorney told KSAT they will appeal to a higher court.
Tuesday’s decision would now allow for the case to go before a jury to decide whether the “dangerous” dog designation should be lifted. It is not clear when that hearing is planned for.
“Dangerous” dogs are classified as having attacked or menaced people, unprovoked, outside of their enclosures.
“Aggressive” dogs are generally those found to have gone after other animals.
Following the Tuesday court ruling, Cooper said she paid the necessary impoundment fees and mandatory requirements to have the puppies returned to her.
Cooper expects to have the dogs returned to her later Wednesday.
Read more: