Category Archives: Dog Bite Laws & Lawsuits

A collection of blog posts about dog bite lawsuits and dog bite liability — one bite rule and strict liability — and laws pertaining to dangerous dogs.

United States Senate Bill to Provide Public Health Veterinary Services in Rural and Tribal Communities

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Bill would authorize public health veterinary services for tribal communities. Bill Reintroduced Washington DC - Last week, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), along with multiple other senators, reintroduced Senate Bill 620, the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act. The bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service (IHS) to provid… [Read full blog post]

2023 Unreported Dog Bite Fatality: Family Files Federal Lawsuit After Woman Killed by Son's Known Vicious Dogs

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Estela Manteca died after being attacked by her son's known vicious dogs. The Complaint Pharr, TX - On January 3, 2025, a daughter and a granddaughter of a 91-year old woman killed by her son's pack of vicious dogs in 2023 filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Pharr, Texas seeking $100 million in damages. The plaintiffs brought the action against the city "for the gross failure of its public works division to protect Estela Manteca from a foreseeable and preventable attac… [Read full blog post]

The Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing of Elijah, Attacks Dog Tied in Garage, and the Statement of Decision

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Elijah was determined to be "vicious and dangerous" after the dangerous dog hearing. Statement of Decision San Francisco, CA - On November 25, 2024, a Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing was held to determine if "Elijah," a male, neutered pit bull met the definition of "vicious and dangerous" set forth in the San Francisco Health Code. DogsBite.org obtained the audio recording of the hearing and the surveillance video of the attack. After combining them, we embedded open cap… [Read full blog post]

San Antonio Animal Control Testimony During Punishment Phase of Fatal Dog Attack Trial

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Two animal control officers gave testimony during the punishment phase. Lawsuit Against City San Antonio, TX - On February 24, 2023, Ramon Najera, 81, was brutally killed by two pit bulls. The dogs’ owners, Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder, were later sentenced to 18 and 15 years respectively. The three-day punishment phase of this trial was captured on video. Due to this rarity, we examined the testimony of Najera's wife, a responding police officer, prosecution'… [Read full blog post]