Officers with the Warsaw Police Department are investigated a dog-on-dog attack that occurred Monday in the youth cabin parking lot at Center Lake Park. City Animal Control Officer Justin “Tug” Curtis said pets are not allowed in the parks of Warsaw. “Even in the city, animals have to be under control and on your property,” he said. Curtis said there were three dogs involved in the incident, two chihuahuas and a pit bull. One of the chihuahuas died from injuries it suffered. Luyen Westerhof is the owner of the chihuahua that died following the attack. She said she was on a walk with her two chihuahuas that were on leashes when a pit bull came running toward her. Westerhof said she tried to run, but the pit bull knocked her over. When the pit bull’s owner rushed over to see if she was fine, Westerhof noticed one of chihuahuas was bleeding and lying still in a pool of blood near her. “I cried, and I screamed at everybody,” Westerhof said. After police arrived on the scene, she took her 12-year-old chihuahua to be examined and she discovered her dog suffered a broken jaw, internal injuries and trauma. Due to the severity of its injuries, the dog would have needed 24-hour care and at least two surgeries with no guaranteed outcome. Because it was so tiny and old, Westerhof decided the best decision would be to put her “constant companion” down. “I was outsmarted so many times by this tiny dog, he’s my protector,” she said. “I had to make the right decision for him and put him down so he would go peacefully and quickly.” She doesn’t blame the pit bull, but said she thinks the outcome would have been different if the dog was on a leash. Curtis spoke with the other party and they said their dog was on a leash, but no one was holding it. He said the owners were unaware of the city ordinances and the violations they committed. They declined to comment for this story. “When you have a dog out in public, please put it on leash, it only takes a few seconds,” Westerhof said. “It takes a few seconds for the friendliest dog to turn vicious.” She said everyone must be aware for everyone’s safety. She said dogs are still animals and can act on their instincts. She doesn’t want to press charges against the pit bull’s owner, but she wants the public to be aware of the city ordinances for their animals. “[The owners] learned their lesson and that’s good enough for me,” she said. Curtis said allowing an animal to stray could lead to potential criminal charges, and fines are another potential repercussion. Curtis said the same rules apply for cats – they must be on leashes and also have their rabies vaccine. “As far as animals and parks, everyone must realize you can’t do that, no animals period,” Curtis said. “I want everyone to educate people on the ordinances.” City Ordinance chapter 58 section 44 states that all pets are prohibited from every park, with the exception of Pike Lake campground. The pets that are kept at the campground must be on a leash. Warsaw Parks and Recreation Superintendent Larry Plummer said pets are allowed around the perimeter of Indiana and Fort Wayne streets near Center Lake park as long as they are on a leash. Pet owners could face repercussions for ordinance violations and police officers can become involved. “It’s just our way of keeping the public safe and free of animal waste,” Plummer said. “It’s good for all park patrons.” For more information and a list of the city ordinances for animals, visit http://www.warsaw.in.gov/ and click chapter 6 - Animals.
