MENTONE – In a 30-day period, the Mentone Police Department has dealt with three dog bites.
The three cases, all unprovoked, were with different dogs, and two of the cases came within five days of one another in the last couple of weeks.
The first dog bite case involved a German shepherd who got out of its yard. It bit a man in the leg when he blocked it from biting his companion.
The other two cases involve a different German shepherd now being held at the animal shelter, and a pit bull mix whose owner is considering getting rid of it.
“Three dogs in a 30-day window is pretty unusual for us,” said Town Marshal Jim Eads. “We usually work one or two bites for the whole year.”
The German shepherd first bit Mentone Utilities Superintendent Eric Carlin on the hand while he was petting it. Eads approached the dog and carefully began to pet it, but quickly moved his hand away when the dog attempted to bite him. Eads said the dog’s mood changed pretty quickly in both instances.
Kosciusko County Animal Control Officer Jerry Clase was contacted and Clase helped catch the German shepherd. Eads said he felt in this case the dog was bigger than he could handle alone. The German shepherd was taken to the animal shelter for observation of signs of rabies, but the 10-day waiting period ended Monday without the dog showing any signs of the virus.
No one has claimed the dog.
The bite from the pit bull mix wasn’t the dog’s first incident. Owned by a Mentone town resident, it bit an 18-year-old girl in the calf.
Terry Engstrand, MPD deputy, is working up charges against the dog owner for allowing the dog to stray as it wasn’t the dog’s first time. Instead of a fine, the Prosecutor’s Office wanted paperwork written up for a misdemeanor.
Eads said there are state and town ordinances against allowing pets to stray.
According to state code, a dog owner commits a Class C misdemeanor if the owner fails to take reasonable steps to restrain the dog; the dog enters property other than the property of the dog’s owner; and, as a result of the owner’s failure to restrain the dog, the dog bites or attacks another person without provocation, resulting in bodily injury to the other person.
Mentone town ordinance states that “the owner or keeper of any dog within the town is hereby required to restrain such dog from running at large, and it shall be unlawful to suffer or permit any dog to run at large on any of the streets, alleys, sidewalks, public places or public grounds within the limits of the town.”
Any dog found roaming public places without the owner, the owner’s agent or custodian will be impounded.
Town code also states it is unlawful for any person to harbor any dog which is over the age of 6 months and which is not presently immunized against rabies. Code also prohibits any person from allowing dogs to injure human beings, and for the destruction of any rabid dog.
With the charges being brought against the pit bull mix owner, the dog could be deemed a “potentially dangerous dog.”
Under town ordinances, the owner of a potentially dangerous dog “shall apply to the clerk-treasurer’s office or the town’s duly authorized third party for the licensing of the dog.”
The application must be on a provided form and be accompanied by verification of the owner’s name and current address, proof that the applicant owns the dog, a copy of a registration certificate if available, a copy of the current immunization and health records for the dog, proof that the applicant has insurance coverage of not less than $300,000, two photographs of the dog, name and address of any previous owner, and a licensing fee of $28.
The owner also would have to get the dog tattooed with his license number and put up a sign in their yard saying they have a potentially dangerous dog.
Eads said the pit bull mix owner said he would probably have to get rid of his dog because he can’t afford the necessary insurance coverage.
If a dog owner lets their animal out, Eads said, the owner should keep their eye on the animal at all times, keep the dog on the leash, and keep its vaccinations current.
To report a loose or stray animal, call the Mentone Police Dept. at 574-352-7255. “We work closely with Jerry Clase,” said Engstrand.
Eads said they try to be pretty lenient on stray dogs, but when it becomes a continuous problem and pet owners must be constantly reminded, ordinances will be enforced.
A first time fine is $25, Engstrand said, but fines are not to exceed $500. However, a fine can be written for every day a pet is loose.Darla McCammon, director of the Animal Welfare League, said, “There are over five million dog bites per year and many of these could be prevented. If you are a dog owner you are responsible to train your dog basic commands such as sit, down, stay or come. You should always be sure your dog has had its rabies shots. When a dog does bite, it must be put in a 10-day quarantine to be sure it does not develop rabies. Your local Animal Welfare League provides this protection for our citizens with the help of our local law enforcement officers, including animal control officers.”
Children should be taught not to approach an unfamiliar dog until the owner acknowledges the pet is safe to pet, McCammon said. Children and adults should not make fast moves toward an unfamiliar dog who could bite simply out of fear they are being attacked.
“Our local pet supply stores such as Paws and Claws, Pet Supplies Plus, Big ‘R’, and TSC all carry collars, leashes and restraining items including a variety of electronic fences. One new fence on the market does not require the expensive and time-consuming buried cable but operates on signals from a central location that stops your dog from going further than a specified distance from your property,” she said.
“We also have a number of great dog trainers in this area who will work with a problem dog. If you suspect your dog might be a ‘biter,’ get help before someone gets hurt,” McCammon said.
For more tips on preventing dog bites, McCammon recommended the website http://www.akc.org/insurance/tips_dogbites.cfm
