Pet Owner's Loss Inspires New Law To Enact Cop Canine Training
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Fueled by the death of her dog at the hands of a frightened Fort Worth police officer three years ago, Cindy Boling is on a mission to make sure it doesn't happen anymore.
"She has to have had a purpose. This has to… all of this has to have had a purpose," said Boling about the day her dog Lily was killed in front of her.
Boling and her husband have advocated tirelessly – saying there were "hundreds and hundreds" of cases similar to hers -- until the Texas House voted unanimously this week for a police canine training program.
And with dogs in more than 1 out of 3 households in the United States, the Department of Justice recommended the program.
House Bill 593, or "Lily's Bill" establishes a statewide training requirement for law enforcement officers to teach them how to deal with canine encounters on the job. The training program requires four hours of classroom instruction on understanding canine behavior, discerning between amicable and aggressive dogs and using non-lethal methods to defend against a canine attack.
Some legislators oppose the bill though.
"It creates an unfunded mandate on police departments, which is especially burdensome for smaller or more rural departments," said State Representative James Frank.
Legislative aids working on the bill told CBS 11 News they expect Governor Greg Abbott to sign the bill.
"We've been working too hard on this. I want the governor to sign this bill," said Boling.
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