Texas-Book-Gun Law Armed And Educated - Flipbook - Page 207
animal killing or destroying your livestock or crops, you will be
justified in using force or deadly force against it.
E. Dogs and coyotes attacking livestock or domestic animals
AUTHORIZATION TO KILL ATTACKING DOGS/COYOTES
TEX. HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE § 822.013
A dog or coyote that is attacking, is about to attack, or has
recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowls may
be killed by: any person witnessing the attack; or the attacked
animal’s owner or a person acting on behalf of the owner if the
owner or person has knowledge of the attack.
Texas Health & Safety Code § 822.013 specifically allows a person
to kill a dog or coyote that is attacking livestock, domestic animals,
or fowls. This statute came into application in 2010 when thenTexas Governor Rick Perry was out jogging and a coyote attacked
his dog. Governor Perry dispatched the coyote with his .380 Ruger.
The Governor was fully within the scope of Section 822.013.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals approved this authorization
statute as a defense to the crime of animal cruelty in the case of
Chase v. State, 448 S.W.3d 6 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014).
It is notable that this section is specifically limited to dog and
coyote attacks on animals, not people. This statute does not address
the issue of defending people against animal attacks; you must look
elsewhere for your legal justification. If Governor Perry had not
had his dog with him that day and the coyote had instead attacked
him, he would have had to employ the general legal defense of
necessity under Texas Penal Code Section 9.22.
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