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Animal ATTRACTION |
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August 2009
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By Ben Tinsley / Galveston County Daily News TEXAS CITY — A couple said they are reeling after a pit bull in a neighboring yard allegedly shoved its jaws through a small opening in their backyard fence, clamped onto the face of their dog, and dragged the animal onto the nearby property.
Stone, a lab mix belonging to Perry and Susan Evans, has a tube near his left eye and stitches in his gums. The attack took place at 10 a.m. Monday in the 5600 block of Armstrong Drive. The incident at the home of Perry and Susan Evans took place two months after Texas City officials — citing Humane Society studies — passed an ordinance barring residents from chaining or tethering their dogs. Matthew T. Doyle, Texas City mayor, said he feels for the Evanses but is not sure what the city can do for them. “I agree that vicious dogs are bad and people need to be responsible pet owners, but our jurisdiction doesn’t allow us to patrol people’s backyards,” Doyle said. “We can’t start instructing people how to maintain their fences.” Mayor Pro Tem Mike Land agreed. “That ordinance was written for people who basically chain their dogs with no shelter or inadequate food and leave them,” Land said. The injuries to Stone, a black lab, are primarily to the face and inside of the mouth, Perry Evans said. Susan Evans said she believes the pit bull was trying to bite her pet’s throat, as evidenced by bite marks on the dog’s collar and tags. She said it was traumatic watching the animal being dragged through the opening in the wooden fence. “I can’t get the image out of my head,” she said. “All I could do was stand there and watch and listen to what was being done.” Texas City police and animal control were called to the scene, but no official report was taken, said police Cpl. David Viel. There was no citation issued to anyone because Stone was in the neighbor’s backyard when authorities arrived, Susan Evans said. The owners of the property on which the pit bull was staying in the 5520 block of Evelyn Street in West Texas City were not home when a reporter went by for comment this week and did not return repeated telephone calls. The couple owns two side-by-side houses in that block, according to Galveston County property and phone records. On the front door of one of these houses, animal control officers had posted a notice warning them to put their “brindle pitt and black young dog” back in the yard. The notice, dated May 9, alleged both dogs were running around the neighborhood and urged the owners to call animal control as quickly as possible. The space in the fence that Stone was dragged through had been boarded up by Wednesday. Susan Evans said the pit bull’s strength during the attack was unbelievable. “I tried with all the strength that I had to force the pit bull away by hitting him on the head with the wooden part of a broom, but it did not hinder him,” she said. “When he finally got our lab’s head completely through the opening, the rest of our dog was dragged through.” Stone was taken to a veterinarian, and a drainage tube was placed underneath his left eye. That tube comes out this week. The left side of the inside of the dog’s mouth will be in stitches for the next two weeks. There were other minor facial injuries, and the dog was sent home with two bottles of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicine and eye cream for both eyes. In all, the Evanses said they owe $350 for medical fees, stitches, shots and examinations. It will cost more money, perhaps another $200, for them to repair their fence. They said the neighbor has indicated he can’t afford to pay the medical bills and claimed Stone had attacked his pet during the altercation. Perry Evans said he and his wife aren’t looking to cause their neighbors any trouble; they just want the public to know the importance of being aware of a formerly chained animal. “We are not angry at anybody; this is strictly about public awareness,” he said. The Evanses said they are considering pouring concrete along the base of their fence to keep the animal next door out. Doyle said the family e-mailed him about the incident and he has asked George Fuller, community service director, to look into it. But since the hole was in the fence that separated the two families’ backyards, they, not the authorities, are probably the ones who need to work out the problem, he said. “It’s impossible for the police officers to know whose fault this is,” the mayor said. This story is available through KHOU, Ch. 11's partnership with The Galveston County Daily News. 4 CommentsLeave a comment |
I am the proud owner of two pitbulls who I have had since they were puppies. I am against the new chain ordinance because it was put in place because of the actions of those irresponsible pet owners who kept their animals chained permanantly. I feel that I am a very responsible pet owner, my boys are excersied daily, have plenty of family interaction with myself and my children and are incredibly people friendly. My fear is the fact that I live in a rent house my fence is not as secure as it should be to house my puppies. My yard is basically the size that they are requesting for space for my babies. I have secured the fence the best way I can but I am still not comfortable with how well my fence will keep my boys in and other dangerous dogs out. Who will pay to secure my fence? And who determined that a dog chewing on a bowl was angry? My puppies had a short stint being chained to a stationary object, and they chewed on everything because they were teething. My puppies are 9 months old now and are free to roam the yard and in and out of the house when we are home, but during the day when we are gone prior to the new ordinance we would chain them while at work on chains that nearly ran the length of our yard. So considering myself a responsible pet owner, I thought that putting my boys on a chain that allowed them to move around the yard that I was keeping them safe until I got home. Now who will monitor my boys while I am gone to work, will anyone pay for me to put them in doggy daycare, who will help me find them if they get out of my fence, who will pay for medical bills if they get hurt. No one it is my responsiblity, then it should be my responsibility to determine what is best for them, and not the decision be left to someone who doesn't know my boys or their personalities.
The responsible thing for dog owners to do would be to train their dog(s) so that they can keep them in the house, and if they're still at that destructive stage, crate them!
That way you also don't have to worry about your dogs getting bored and digging out or jumping the fence or being stolen! And your dog will be a lot cooler and happier!
Brenda, as a dog owner, especially of Pit Bulls, it is your responsibility and yours alone to monitor your dogs, keep them safe and secure and if they get out, it is your responsibility to find them. Why not try keeping your boys crated in your house when you are not home, then you won't have to worry so much about their safey? If they get as much exercise as you say, then sleeping in an air conditioned house while you are away isn't going to hurt them. However leaving them chained in your backyard or even loose, while unsupervised, could. Chains can become tangled around legs or necks, dogs can jump fences and hang themselves, they can get the chain caught and cause a dog to panic and choke itself. Even letting them have free run of the yard without supervision is asking for trouble or for them to get stolen.
No dog should be chained or in a backyard without supervision for long periods of time. Too many news stories occur because a dog was not being supervised. Times have changed when it comes to owning dogs and to be responsible dog owners, we must do whatever possible in our modern society to keep our dogs and those around our dogs safe.
And Brenda, from one Pit Bull owner to another, the safest thing for your boys would be to have them neutered and keep them crated when you aren't there to supervise them. Pit Bulls are a fighting breed and no amount of love or training will hender the fight in them if they "turn on" and get into a fight with each other. So for the safety of your boys, please keep them confined, even from each other while no one is home.
As the former owner of a mix breed (half Black Lab and half Pit Bull) I can add my two cents. Pit Bulls are NOT pets! They can be sweet and loving to their owners but as stated in another response above, when they are turned on to "fight mode" they are one of the most vicious animals on earth. No one should own a Pit Bull that cannot provide a secure outdoor environment, one that there is no way a child could wander in nor, that the dog could escape. It is the owners responsibility to ensure their pet causes "no harm".