An online petition has been started to ensure that justice is done on behalf of an American Bulldog that was fatally stabbed July 17 in Brownsville.
The Justice for Pandora petition was started Monday by Brownsville Animal Defense and as of Monday afternoon had over 1,000 signatures. BAD plans to present the petition to Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz to make sure the man accused of stabbing the canine is prosecuted to the” fullest extent possible.”
“Make an example of justice with this case so that other animals might not suffer or be killed, without consequences,” the petition states.
Juan Rodriguez Rodriguez, 53, of Brownsville, is charged with one count of cruelty to non-livestock animal, according to the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department.
Under the Texas Penal Code, a person found guilty of cruelty to non-livestock animal can be sentenced anywhere from two to 10 years in state prison and be fined up to $10,000.
Rodriguez Rodriguez had been jailed and is out on a $50,000 bond.
Pandora’s stabbing was caught on video and shared with The Brownsville Herald and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department last week.
On Monday, Saenz said “I have seen the video in question and it is very disturbing. After giving the defendant his day in court, he will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”
The incident occurred Sunday, July 17 at the 6300 block of Tecate Drive, on the east side of Brownsville.
The video shows a man chasing and stabbing “Pandora” the bulldog. In the video, the dog is lying on its side as it is being attacked and could be heard whimpering. Another dog can be heard barking in the background.
According to sheriff’s department, Pandora’s owner contacted the department and told authorities his dog had been stabbed. The owner wrote online Thursday that the dog was “stabbed to death due to puncture wounds located on the chest and neck.”
Pandora has belonged to the family for years and the owner considered the canine as a daughter to him, said Tony Lopez, a member of Brownsville Animal Defense. “He has had the dog longer than he has had his son,” Lopez added.
Although the family had contacted law enforcement about the attack, a friend of the dog’s owner contacted Lopez because he feared nothing would be done to the individual who attacked and killed his dog, Lopez said.
The family had been playing with Pandora that Sunday afternoon and left Pandora outside for about 20 to 30 minutes, Lopez said. The dog had gotten out from its yard, and it’s believed this is when Rodriguez and the bulldog came into contact.
“They went out looking for the dog and found it dead a couple of houses down the road,” Lopez said.
Lopez said someone who witness the attack told the family: “The man down there stabbed him.”
Pandora’s owner established a Justice for Pandora Facebook Page following the pet’s killing.
The owner wrote on that page: “Pandora was brutally murdered in broad-day light on 7/17/2022 without any reason or warning. This page is to honor Pandora, share her story and make sure Justice is Served. This page does NOT condone violence, retaliation or harm to anyone!”
He wrote, “She was a amazing dog super easy to love, always wanted to play never really had any sad moments or bad moments with her. She wasn’t just a pet she was my daughter. I watched her grow up since she was a puppy before Kendrick my oldest son was born.”
The petition can be found on www.change.org.
