Galesburg - In a letter to the editor, Paul Lepka alleges that Galesburg animal control minimized the severity of a pit bull attack in a sloppy investigation that misidentified the pit bull as a "terrier" and did not get a statement from the victim dog's owner among other problems.
If true, this sloppy, unprofessional behavior is exactly the behavior that has been alleged in the past. The owners of a golden retriever named Chloe that was attacked by a pit bull described how their dog's attack was minimized and nothing was done about the dangerous pit bull at a public hearing about pit bulls after Ryan Maxwell's tragic death.
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| Chloe, Another Galesburg Pit Bull Attack Victim |
Editor, Register-Mail: A few weeks ago before the anniversary of the sudden death of a child by a vicious pit bull, a responsible pet owner’s own dog was also attacked by a pit bull. A lady was walking her leashed dog on public property when a loose pit bull came charging up and attacked her dog from behind. The incident occurred approximately 100 feet off of the property of the attack dog. With one horrible bite, the pit bull tore a hunk of flesh off of the hind quarters of the leashed dog before it retreated back home. The pet owner was able to get her dog home in spite of it bleeding profusely all the way. The police were immediately called. The owner of the attack dog then had the audacity to show up at the home of the injured dog and complain to the pet owner about having police intervention. The injured dog was immediately taken to the closest veterinary clinic which the Vet verified that in order to close the wound, it required 15 external stitches and so many internal stitches that staff eventually lost count.
After an investigation was completed by Animal Control, their report was riddled with misinformation and inaccuracies. The report concluded that the victim dog instigated the attack and the wound was described only as a “nip.” The report also stated that the attack dog was a terrier and the breed of the victim dog was incorrectly listed as well as the legal owner’s name. Animal control also did not interview the owner of the victimized dog and concluded that this was an isolated incident. Therefore, the attack dog was not deemed a vicious animal according to city codes. To prove that the investigation was so sloppily incomplete, this same dog was documented in a 2012 police report as being at large and aggressive to neighboring dogs and their pet owners.
In conclusion, it seems that this investigation lacked credibility and professionalism and unless city officials take the irresponsibility of certain pet owners seriously, there could be another tragedy looming on the horizon. — Paul Lepka, Freeport
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The Register-Mail
Related posts:
Mar 18, 2013 Galesburg pit bull attacks golden retriever
Galesburg It is your turn to get it right
Mar 03, 2013 Galesburg Pit Bulls Kill 7 year old Ryan Maxwell
