Police-reported incident record · 2025-03-31

Austin woman suffered serious arm bites while helping injured loose dog; euthanasia order later affirmed

A Texas appellate opinion says Julissa Alvarez was bitten multiple times by a Belgian Malinois while helping corral the injured loose dog in Austin on March 31, 2025; medical records showed lacerations requiring three staples.

Nonfatal · 1 bite victimBreed: Belgian MalinoisAustin, TX

Date2025-03-31 · Time not stated in reviewed appellate opinion

LocationMontopolis Avenue area in Austin; the appellate opinion says the dog was injured while crossing Montopolis Avenue and the attack occurred after Julissa Alvarez stopped to help corral him near an adjacent business

Victim(s)Julissa Alvarez, adult woman

Dogs involved1 dog

Injury severitySerious bodily injury under Texas law; multiple arm bites, EMS treatment and hospital transport; right-arm lacerations required three staples

Breed attributionBelgian MalinoisAn Austin/Travis County Animal Protection investigator testified that Major was a Belgian Malinois. BiteDB records this as breed attribution from sworn testimony summarized in the appellate opinion, not as an independent DNA determination.

What the record currently shows

Incident summary

A Texas appellate opinion says Julissa Alvarez stopped to help corral a loose, injured dog named Major on March 31, 2025 in Austin. Major bit her right arm, then her left arm, then bit and held her right arm again. EMS treated Alvarez at the scene and transported her to a hospital. Medical records reviewed in the case documented right-arm lacerations requiring three staples. Austin municipal and county courts found that Major caused serious bodily injury and ordered humane euthanasia; the Third Court of Appeals affirmed that disposition on February 11, 2026.

Legal-status note

Austin Municipal Court and, on de novo appeal, Travis County Court at Law No. 2 found that Major caused serious bodily injury and ordered humane euthanasia under Texas Health and Safety Code § 822.003. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed on February 11, 2026. The appellate opinion specifically says the record did not show that owner Shane Lilly was prosecuted under § 822.005; BiteDB therefore does not imply a criminal conviction.

Media & source coverage

Video, reporting and source material

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↗Primary incident reportingTexas Third Court of Appeals — Shane Lilly v. State, No. 03-25-00529-CVLinked source; no third-party image is copied into BiteDB.

Source provenance

Primary record used by BiteDB

Texas Third Court of Appeals — Shane Lilly v. State, No. 03-25-00529-CVPrimary appellate judicial opinion summarizing admitted police, medical and animal-protection evidence · Published 2026-02-11 · Accessed 2026-09-09

The Texas Third Court of Appeals opinion in Shane Lilly v. State recounts affidavits, police/animal-protection records, medical records and hearing testimony. It says Major attacked Julissa Alvarez on March 31, 2025, biting both arms several times; EMS transported her to a hospital, and her right-arm lacerations required three staples. The opinion also records Animal Protection testimony identifying Major as a Belgian Malinois and affirms the trial court finding of serious bodily injury.

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Additional sources

Data-quality notes

What BiteDB does not infer

Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.