Jeanne Kidd first called 9-1-1 at 3:44 PM, claiming her neighbor was yelling for help. But deputies didn’t arrive on scene for 29 minutes, and Jennifer Lowe either was dead by then or died shortly afterwards. (See post below, Tennessee Haunted By Flaw In Dog Bite Law As Fourth Victim Dies.)
When it comes to dog attacks, Tennessee has the second highest death toll in the nation this year. Deadly dogs, bad laws and inadequate police put the community at risk, especially children, who are the most frequent victims of dog attacks. Kids in this state are not being protected as well as kids in other states. I can’t believe, however, that parents in Tennessee love their children less.
The people of Tennessee need to contact their state legislators and demand that the one-bite rule be repealed. There are cities that make animal control civilly liable when it fails to take dangerous dogs off the street, but I don’t think such a law is feasible in Tennessee because of the balanced-budget provision of its constitution. Therefore, at least the dog owners themselves should be held responsible for all attacks.