Dallas

Hearing Wednesday Could Determine Fate of ‘Lamb of God'

Dog, deemed to be a dangerous animal, was set to be put down last week

The fate of a dog deemed to be dangerous after its third confirmed bite within the last year could be decided in a Dallas courtroom Wednesday.

Lamb of God, known as ‘Lamby’, is a lab mix that is often seen around Dallas dressed up in sunglasses or a cowboy hat in an attempt by its owner, a homeless man, to get people to pay to pose for pictures.

Last month Lamby bit a child in the parking lot of an Oak Cliff gas station and it was later taken into custody by Dallas Animal Services.

The dog was set to be euthanized last Friday, but some last minute legal maneuvering on behalf of a group of concerned citizens put the process on hold. There is another municipal court hearing set for Wednesday afternoon.

But as far as the Ed Jamison, the new Director of DAS, is concerned, there is no other option besides putting the animal down.

“This is just one of the unfortunate situations that come up. Sometimes once a dog crosses over a certain line, at least from our standpoint, our hands are tied,” Jamison said. “There is case law all over this country when you have a known animal with situations [like multiple dog bites] that liability is with you for the rest of that animal's life and you cannot sign that liability away.”

Jamison stressed that he was brought in to run DAS in direct response to public concern about loose and dangerous dogs, particularly in southern Dallas. That concern became even more evident in summer 2016 when a pack of stray dogs attacked and killed a woman, Antoinette Brown, 52.

People who have fought to spare Lamby’s life have argued that she has been mistreated by her owner, and that she should not be condemned for death for lashing out. According to Jamison, his staff has had the dog three times – after the three biting incidents – and they have never noted any evidence of animal cruelty or malnourishment. Instead, Jamison said the dog has a temperament problem.

“From a public safety standpoint once an animal is deemed dangerous our stance is we cannot responsibly place that animal back in the public,” Jamison said.

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