Editor,
Christmas day was going well and we would soon leave home to join a family dinner. Our plans however took a sudden unwelcome turn when my daughter came through the door, crying and with a bloody hand that obviously hurt.
My daughter had been walking our dog, Rosie, with the leash secured into Rosie’s harness. An unleashed dog decided to give chase, despite the pleas by my daughter and the dog’s owner to stay away. She kicked at the dog as it circled her, but it still closed in several times. A fight broke out between Rosie and the other dog. My daughter tried to pull them apart when she was bitten on the hand by one of them. The other dog eventually broke off and returned to its owner, who apologized for the incident. Unfortunately, the damage was done and no amount of apologizing can turn back the hands of time.
We took our daughter to the Anson Emergency Room. The wounds were cleansed and bandages applied. X-rays revealed no fractures. An injection and pills were given to protect her from infection. The staff at the emergency room was friendly, thorough and caring. The charge was $1,370.00 for their services.
The hospital reported the dog to a state registry. We reported the incident to the police. The officer told us he would visit the owner that evening and find out whether the dog had its vaccinations. Fortunately it did.
What next? If the dog repeats this behavior, the consequences could be much more serious to both the dog and its owner. Town ordinance provides that if a dog is involved in a second incident within the next twelve months, it can be classified as a “potentially dangerous animal”. The owner is required to “….post notice of the animal’s dangerousness, such as a “Beware of Dog” sign, in order to inform both children and adults of the presence of a Potentially Dangerous Animal on the premises. Potentially Dangerous Animals are allowed outside only under the direct supervision and leashed control of the owner or other responsible party.” If an animal is determined to be a “dangerous animal”, it must be removed from the Town. There are fines and other remedial actions that can be taken as well.
Town ordinance also provides that any dog outside of its owner’s premises must be kept under “reasonable control”. That term is defined to require that “…the animal is restrained by a secure collar and a leash not in excess of 6’ (six feet) in length and the owner of the animal or such other person exercising control of the animal is connected to or holding the other end of the leash.”
My wife and I recently took Rosie for another walk. Our intended destination was the nearby Elm Street Green Park. We never got there. There were two unleashed dogs in our path, one of which began to approach us. It was Deja vu all over again. This has happened on several prior occasions at the various town parks and on the rail trail despite the law and the signs warning users to have their dogs on a leash.
Our daughter was bitten in two separate off-leash dog incidents in 2014. My wife has a lingering forearm strain from trying to hold Rosie back when another off-leash dog approached aggressively. A friend was chased by a dog in the Elm Street Green Park while jogging. A neighbor was attacked from behind on the Rail Trail. These are just a few of the dog off-leash incidents I am aware of.
I ask that everyone reading this letter obey the law and keep their dog on a leash when outside their yard. If you are bitten or otherwise threatened by a dog, please report it to the police. Do it to protect your family. Do it to protect others. Do it to avoid injury to your dog. Do it to avoid the liability you may incur if your dog goes off-leash.
John W. Tousley
Zionsville