LIBERTY Visitor: Law is going to the dogs
Neighbors say loose dogs have threatened others in the past.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Gary Howells of Connecticut came to visit family here last weekend but left with scrapes and bruises after his encounter with a loose dog.
He's upset over how dog control issues are handled here.
Howells said he arrived at his ex-wife's home on Lincoln Avenue on Saturday and was getting out of his car with his leashed dog when another dog approached.
"That is how it is in Connecticut, so that is what I do when I am here -- keep my dog on a leash," he said.
Howells said what he believes to be a pit bull came from down the street and the two dogs began lunging toward each other. Howells said he was dragged to the ground. He suffered scrapes and bruises and had to get stitches in one of his fingers.
The confrontation, Howells said, was upsetting. Equally upsetting, he said, is that nothing will be done to the dog or its owner.
Howells said he called Liberty police but was directed to the county dog warden. The dog warden, he learned, does not work on weekends. He said the attitude of officials seemed lackadaisical.
Police chief comments
Police Chief Anthony Slifka said the department's response was defined by law. He said officers' response to Howells' call would have been different had they seen the attack or had they seen the dog running loose.
"We cannot issue a ticket based on his report. We have to see the violation. He was told to file charges in Girard Municipal Court," he said. "If the pit bull had been running around when we got there, we would have taken appropriate action."
Ohio Revised Code specifies that all dogs must be either kept confined to property or be under reasonable control at all times. Fines can be imposed on those with dogs running at large.
Slifka said there are no recent calls other than Howells' to the Lincoln area in reference to pit bulls, but some neighbors say the two such dogs living at that same address are well known to them.
Attempts to reach the dogs' owner were unsuccessful.
Debbie Howells, Gary Howells' ex-wife, said one of the animals once came onto her front porch growling through the screen door. She said the dogs' owner has apologized and promised to now keep the animals leashed.
Growling, chasing
Anna Dennison, one street away on Harding Avenue, said she had to chase the dogs away with a hammer when they started growling at her brother-in-law. She said her husband was in the back yard when the dogs started chasing him and grabbed his pant leg -- he had to beat the dog with a stick.
"Every other day we see them out here," Dennison said. "You should not have these types of dogs in a neighborhood with kids."
Tammy Roberts of Lincoln Avenue said the dogs chased her daughter home one afternoon when the child was riding her bike in a nearby parking lot. One of the dogs came into the yard and started growling at her husband as he worked in the garage; she said the dog ran off when something was thrown in its direction.
The neighbors said Howells' call was the first notification given to the dog warden concerning the two dogs.
Must see the dog
Robert Campana, chief dog warden, said his employees cannot remove a dog unless they actually see the animal running loose, have a court order or deem the animal vicious.
Campana said Howells would have to fill out a police report and make the dog's owner responsible for his injuries. He said a letter could have been sent to the owners highlighting leash requirements and asking that they call the dog warden's office. Howells, he noted, hung up the phone before giving the dog owner's address.
Campana said the dog warden's office is closed on weekends and responds only to emergencies. He said people should call 911 about any serious dog attack during the weekend. A weekend response "depends on the severity of the situation."
jgoodwin@vindy.com