Pit bull seized in attack on toddler

A dog that attacked a 3-yearold girl at a Spring restaurant has been impounded in Montgomery County, officials said.

The dog, a pit bull named Kingston, was seized from its owner and taken to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, according to county officials. County Attorney B.D. Griffin said in a Friday statement that he is taking legal action against the owner of the dog, whose name was not released.

A hearing will be held next Friday during which the county will determine whether the dog will be returned to the owner or kept in county custody and euthanized, Griffin said. Either party will be able to appeal the decision. The dog has already been deemed dangerous because it caused serious bodily injury, Griffin said.

The girl was bitten in the face by the dog, which was wearing a service animal vest, when she walked into the Loose Caboose restaurant in Old Town Spring with her family on Jan. 9, said the girl’s mother, Cleveratta GordonWaldroup.

Waldroup said she rushed her daughter to the bathroom to stanch the bleeding while the woman ran out of the restaurant with her dog. Her husband, meanwhile, ran after the dog owner. Video from a witness shows the woman climbing into the passenger seat of a gold-colored sedan and driving away with an unidentified man while Waldroup's husband yells at them.

“I was taking care of Ronin and he was begging them to stop —

they never stopped,” Waldroup said in a Facebook video in which she appears visibly upset. “The lady kept yelling back at my husband that it was our daughter’s fault. … It is not a 3-year-old’s fault for poor training of your dog.”

In an updated post that Saturday night, Waldroup shared photos of her daughter in a hospital bed with her right cheek swollen, bruised, bloody and stitched.

It was unclear whether the dog was in fact a service animal, which is defined as a dog trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require service animals to be registered, certified or professionally trained — a person with a disability has the right to train the dog themselves.

Under Texas law, a person who falsely represents their pet as a specially trained service animal is guilty of a misdemeanor. The crime is punishable by a fine less than $300 or 30 hours of community service, according to the penal code.

Justice of the Peace Matt Beasley issued a warrant for the seizure of the dog, whose owner lives in Montgomery County. When animal control officials arrived, the owner surrendered the dog, according to the county.

“We believe the dog caused serious injuries to this child and is a dangerous and vicious animal,” Griffin said. “We’re seeking to ensure that this dog is unable to injure anyone in the future.”