Letter: Attack Victim's Husband Says Pit Bull Regulation Sorely Needed

From left: Kristi Langston and Sean Langston.

Victim: Kristi Langston
Tyler, TX - On March 17, Kristi Langston was nearly killed by a group of pit bulls. Sean Langston, her husband, who "by the grace of God," returned home early from work that day, found his wife still alive. He told reporters that it would be a while before the "indescribable scene" would leave his head. "Knowing how I felt when I found her, I can only imagine what she endured," he said. "I literally thought she was dead, just from the conditions of her wounds."

The more Langston learned about what his wife suffered, the more enraged he became. He told reporters that the dogs attacked her three times. Also, the Langston's dogs and cat were outside during the attack. At one point, he said the attacking dogs left his wife and went toward their dogs but they submitted, and the attacking dogs went back to his wife. (This comment likely speaks to the high level of "human-aggression" in these dogs.)

This was not the first attack by these dogs either. One neighbor reportedly missed several months of work after the same animals attacked him. Larry Goodwin said the dogs recently trapped his wife in her car as well. (Goodwin also said that he believed the dogs' owner was running a dogfighting ring.) Following the brutal attack on Kristi, the dogs' owner gave consent to have the dogs put down. At that time, authorities said felony charges might be possible.

Since, however, they believe the the dog owner, Nolasco Gonzalez, 26, has fled to Mexico.

This is yet another reason why "hindsight laws," such as Lillian's Law are ineffective on their own. Punishing a dog owner after an attack, even when stiff penalties apply, may be impossible, just as this case shows. Hindsight laws do not prevent these attacks either; a new victim must always be created for such a law to apply. Just yesterday, four weeks after the attack, Sean Langston wrote an editorial to the Tyler Telegraph in response to "Should pit bulls be banned?"

April 20: Pit Bull Regulation Sorely Needed

Sean T. Langston, Tyler Morning Telegraph
April 20, 2009

"My wife, Kristi, is still in the hospital four weeks after the near-fatal attack by two of these dogs and probably will be for many more. We have no real idea at this point what the future holds for her physically and emotionally. Our financial future is in real jeopardy because the owner is an illegal alien who by now is back in Mexico. So, we have no one to hold financially liable.
This breed of dog was bred for one thing: fighting. They, like other aggressive-breed dogs, are more dangerous than a loaded gun. At least with a loaded gun, you know it is not going to hurt anyone until the trigger is pulled. The pit bull is responsible for more unprovoked vicious attacks than any other aggressive-breed dog.
I personally feel there are better ways to control this problem without taking away individual liberty. But, if banning this breed is the best we can do, then I am all for it. But let us not forget a law is only as good as the enforcement and penalties that support it. I pray God gives our local and state leaders the wisdom and clarity of mind to do this right before anyone else is seriously injured or killed."

Kristi has already undergone several surgeries to repair one broken arm. Doctors are still unsure how much functionality she will regain in either arm. When Sean found his wife, he said, "there was literally nothing between the wrist and her elbow but bone."

Kristi Langston Fund
A fund has been set up for Kristi Langston -- the Kristi Langston Medical Fund -- at Bank of America. Donations can be made at any Bank of America.