Councilman aims to stiffen pet attack penalties

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - 70-year old Claudiett Bluiett has been hospitalized for a week. The southeast Houston senior citizen says she had three chunks bitten out of her leg by her neighbor's dog.

The owner says the dog is a pit bull mix. We spoke to her by phone from the hospital.

Bluiett says, "I go walking every morning with my two dogs and they have board up and their dog ran out before I could get in my gate and bit me."

While Bluiett has had skin graphs so far, her neighbor doesn't seem too bothered by his family dog's actions.

Juan Guitierrez says the female dog was provoked in the past by the senior.

"She never attacks her just directly. She attacks for a reason," says Gutierrez.

Juan Guitierrez is not even willing to admit it was their dog that attacked Bluiett. A dog that has since been put down by the city.

Whether Guitierrez believes it was his family's dog, it has left one Houston city councilman ticked.

Dwight Boykins is hoping to draft an ordinance that's tougher on pet owner's whose animals attack... a fine of $1000 from 500, 10 days in jail, and responsibility for half the victim's medical bill.

As for Miss Bluiett, she's not quite sure when she will be released from the hospital.