Hoffman Estates - A Hoffman Estates woman was fined $500 on Tuesday for failing to contain her two pit bull terriers, which escaped from her yard in March and attacked a neighbor's dog so viciously it had to be put to sleep.
Goldy, an 8-year-old golden retriever owned by Jim and Janie Gullickson, suffered a "brutal and vicious death," Associate Judge Pamela G. Karahalios told Kathy S. Dakis, owner of the pit bulls. And it was up to Dakis to "have taken the proper precautions" to prevent the attack, the judge said.
Dakis, 3940 Lexington Drive, appeared Tuesday in the Rolling Meadows branch of the Cook County Circuit Court on a range of misdemeanor charges stemming from the March 31 dog attack, which occurred inside the Gullicksons' garage.
A Hoffman Estates police officer ended up shooting and slightly injuring one of the pit bulls when the animal turned on her as she tried to break up the attack.
Dakis, who has since given the dogs to her son, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to two charges of allowing dogs to attack or damage property. The judge also found her guilty of failing to keep a vicious dog confined and failing to post signs warning of the presence of a vicious dog.
Dakis was ordered to pay $500 within the next month. The judge also ordered that Dakis will face a second $500 fine if she gets into any dog trouble in the next year. Dakis also told the judge she has no intention of ever taking the pit bulls back.
"The only reason I have these dogs is I live alone, and they make me feel safe," Dakis said in court.
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