[News] Ohio Woman Seeks Vicious Dog Law Change

[fasteddie]

What hurt worse than watching her pet being attacked by two large greyhound dogs and fighting them off, was watching the owner of the attackers walk away with no fines or punishment.

On May 5, Carol Jones' Yorkshire terrier, Mackie, sat in her yard on Ledgewood Drive when her neighbor walked by with her two greyhounds and lost control of them.

Mackie was no match for the greyhounds, and Jones believes he was killed instantly, when they snapped his neck.

"They tore the fur from his neck," she said. "His intestines were exposed."

Jones' neighbor was charged with two misdemeanor counts of vicious dog attack, but all charges were dismissed without prejudice, she said.

Because of the city's current ordinance that doesn't consider dogs vicious until after a first attack, the greyhounds' owner is back to walking the dogs in front of Jones' house.

Jones said she's concerned for other dogs and children in her area, because she has been told when dogs attack once, they'll do it again.

As the law stands, a dog must attack twice to be considered vicious, unless it is a pit bull, Jones said.

"It basically gives dogs one free bite," said Toni Eddy, the city's law director.

"We want to change the law so that the first time it would be considered a dangerous dog, and the owner would be held responsible," Jones said. "There's nothing I can do now. I want to change the law so this doesn't happen to someone else."

Jones' councilman, Thomas Trutschel, R-1st Ward, and Eddy support the change.

"It's hard for me to believe we don't have an ordinance to protect our residents," Trutschel said.

If residents allow their pets to roam free, they must pay a $50 fine and court costs, Jones said. But when it came down to the "vicious attack" on her dog, she said, her neighbor didn't have to pay anything.

Jones doesn't plan to give up on the issue.

"I'm going to shake every bush," she said.

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/ap...508240301/1002

[caspersmom]

Hi All! I was going to try to post this story myself if someone else hadn't already done so. This happened in my dear little town of Chillicothe. I went to the City Council meeting w/the Jones family for them to tell this story to get the news of it out there. I wonder if anyone would be able to tell us how their city has dealt w/vicious dogs. Our city ordinance actually mentions pit bulls. I just delivered my Letter to the Editor of the Gazette today to back up the need for a new ordinance & stated that any dog can become a killer. I don't know if they'll publish it. I've done research work on greyhounds & made the chilling discovery in one book on them that some of their breed have a bad reaction to all white dogs. Casper is mostly white except for a little buff on the ears & that "Yorkie" coloring in a broad stripe down his back. I'm too scared to walk in that nice neighborhood w/him now until the grey question is resolved. I have several friends in that area of town & we walked our dogs together. They also have a Yorkie mix. We're all packing pepper spray now.

[rnnw62]

That is outrageous! How can that pet owner look at themselves
in the mirror in the morning much less keep walking the dogs that
did this right past the victims house? Unreal how cold and unfeeling
some people are in this world!

[fasteddie]

Wow, caspersmom, that is scary that you are in that town. All Yorkie owners need to always be careful when walking our Yorkies. If you see any large dogs coming, we can try to quickly scoop up our Yorkies and hold them. It's never bad to be too safe!

[caspersmom]

Hi All--I now have osteoperosis so I've decided to stick w/the smaller dogs. Casper only weighs 11 lbs. & that sure makes it easier for me to pick him up & try to keep him out of harm's reach. But, considering that I'm petite, I don't know just how helpful that would be under dire circumstances. Probably not much so, if we were to meet up w/high prey drive critters. Something else interesting to note is that the greys' owner is in the medical profession--you'd think that surely this person would've seen enough dog bites in their time that they wouldn't be so cold about this matter, to say the least!

[BLowry]

I am so sorry to hear about your little friend. I believe those dogs should have been put down. As much as I am an animal lover If those dogs were mine I would have put them down. Like you, I do believe they will attack again.

[txshopper73]

That is horrible and terrifying!! Dogs shouldn't get a second chance. Once it kills something, it is considered dangerous...end of discussion. And for those irresponsible owners to continue to walk those vicious dogs in front of that lady's house ticks me off! Have some freakin' respect!

[Funky Chicken]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

As the law stands, a dog must attack twice to be considered vicious, unless it is a pit bull, Jones said.


http://www.chillicothegazette.com/ap...508240301/1002

and just who decided that ???