MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama dog owners will now face harsh fines or prison time if their animal injures or kills another person.
The House of Representatives passed the final vote on a bill Tuesday that will hold the owner of a dangerous dog accountable and restrain or euthanize the animal if it commits an attack. Sen. Steve Livingston, a Republican, sponsored and named the bill “Emily’s Law” after 24-year-old Emily Colvin. She was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in front of her Jackson County home in December 2017.
The issue was personal for multiple lawmakers. Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, a Republican, said he met a family who didn’t open the casket at their daughter’s funeral because she was so mutilated. He thanked lawmakers for taking action to prevent another tragedy.