Texas man whose pack of 12-15 dogs injured child gets 35 years in prison
A Texarkana man who owned a pack of 12 to 15 dogs that seriously injured a 9-year-old boy last year was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Bowie County jury on Thursday.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the dog pack was reported numerous times for complaints before the child's mauling, including chasing livestock, attacking and injuring horses, and killing a neighbor's dog.
Despite warnings from law enforcement, Cockrell admitted that he had made no effort to pen his dogs and received a "dogs dangerous to animals" notice.
Cockrell was arrested on Sept. 9, 2022, and has been in custody since that date.
Cockrell's sentence of 35 years for injury to a child also included a $7,000 fine and he was sentenced to 10 years and fined $3,000 for the dog attack charge.
Cockrell will serve the two prison terms concurrently.
