Man critically injured in Dallas dog attack days before new ordinance vote

A Dallas man is in critical condition after he was attacked by three dogs Saturday night in a South Dallas neighborhood. The attack comes just days before the Dallas City Council is set to vote on strengthening its dangerous and aggressive dog ordinance.

Dallas police say Ronald Bell, 57, was attacked by three dogs on Beckley View Avenue. A family friend says that he is currently in critical condition and his arm may need to be amputated.

A city spokesman said the dogs came out of an open gate in a neighborhood where it’s not unusual to see dogs roaming about freely.

“I see a lot of dogs coming through here,” Bell’s neighbor Susano Perez said. “I don’t know where they are coming from.”

It’s led to some in the neighborhood to call for change. They say that they are worried for their safety after the attack.

“My prayers go out to the family,” neighbor Leticia Valez said. “I’m just so sorry it happened but something needs to be done about these loose dogs.”

The attack came four days after the Dallas Animal Services director got approval from the city’s Quality of Life Committee to bring his new, tougher dangerous and aggressive dog ordinance before the city council.

It also is the latest incident in a string of dog attacks. In 2016, veteran Antoinette Brown was killed after she was attacked by loose dogs in Fair Park. In April, a woman was mauled by a pack of dogs but survived.

The new ordinance would allow officers to charge the owner of a loose dog who bites someone with a misdemeanor. Since it is not yet in place, the owner of the dog that attacked Bell will not face any criminal charges. Instead, he is being charged with failure to microchip, alter and vaccinate.

The city council will vote on whether or not to approve the ordinance on June 27.