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Resident recounts dog attack and urges stricter animal-control rules; property owner says code enforcement is uneven
Summary
At the Feb. 24 Orange City Council meeting, resident Robert Curry described a Feb. 10 dog attack that left his pet injured and his teenage daughter frightened, and he asked the council to consider ordinances to remove dangerous animals; property owner Dorsey Robinson Jr. told the council he faces disproportionate code enforcement on a renovation project and asked for clearer notices and consistent timelines.
Robert Curry told the City Council that on Feb. 10 two pit bulls dug under a neighbor’s fence, entered his yard, attacked his dog and left his 17-year-old daughter traumatized. “I’ve got video of the attack, video of her screaming and crying,” Curry said. He said police and animal-control responses left gaps and that the animals were unvaccinated, creating a public-health risk. Curry urged the council to consider ordinances allowing the city to remove dangerous animals from properties while owners are notified or required to take corrective action. He cited “statute 822.013 of the Texas code” when describing his options as a private animal-victim and asked, “Is that what we want as a city?”
Curry said his daughter escaped and neighbors and family intervened; he asked council to “get creative” and review processes to ensure a timely police or animal-control response in situations where minors or pets are at risk. He also reported difficulty obtaining an animal-control report without filing a public‑information request.
Later in the public-comment period, Dorsey Robinson Jr. identified himself as a property owner and investor and raised concerns about repeated enforcement actions on a renovation at 811 West John. Robinson said the house was “60% done” and that he invested personal funds to rehabilitate it, but that code officers Amanda Dri and JD Taylor had applied “excessive and inconsistent enforcement.” He asked the council to require clear, written notices of violations, to cite specific ordinance sections, and to set reasonable timelines aligned with active construction.
Robinson said other nearby properties in comparable condition were not subject to the same scrutiny and asked council to review enforcement practices to ensure equal treatment. “I want to continue investing in Orange,” he said, “but I also expect equal treatment under the same rules as every other property owner.”
Why it matters: Both comments highlight public-safety and governance issues the council can address by clarifying enforcement authority and animal-control procedures. Curry’s request focuses on immediate public-safety protections and animal-removal authority; Robinson’s request centers on administrative fairness, documentation and timelines for code compliance.
What happens next: The council did not take action during the meeting but received the comments and will forward details to the appropriate departments for follow-up, as described during the public-comment instructions.
