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Energy board takes steps to better enforce vicious dog limitations, IL

Discussion in 'Laws & Legislation' started by Judy, Apr 12, 2006.

  1. Judy

    Judy CH Dog

    Energy board takes steps to better enforce vicious dog limitations

    by ashley wiehle, the southern

    ENERGY - The village of Energy is working to ensure that an April 1 dog attack remains an isolated incident.

    "We don't want this to happen ever again to anyone," said Mayor Frank Jeters Tuesday at the Village of Energy board meeting.

    Amanda McCall, 11, was attacked by two pit bull terriers at her cousin's house on April 1. Amanda was rushed to Herrin Hospital, where she received more than 20 stitches.

    The owners of the two dogs, Heather Jeralds-Lyell and David Lyell, have since moved out of Energy, said Tom McCall, Amanda's father. The male dog that attacked Amanda has been euthanized, but the female dog resides with the family in their new Johnston City home.

    Laws that deal with vicious dogs reach a blurred line when the incident occurs on private property where the dog lives, said Shawn Ladd, chief of police for Energy.

    "Since they moved out and have moved on, I don't see where there's anything criminal we can do," Ladd said. "You get into a fine line when you start getting into people's home."

    McCall said he would not favor a breed-specific ban, which is prohibited within the state of Illinois. However, McCall said he would urge the city to consider some regulations that could apply to vicious dogs within Energy city limits.

    Jeters asked Ladd and the city attorney to begin looking into possible "tweaks" to the village's current vicious dog law.

    "We have not had a provision for fines, but we're looking to put on in," Jeters said.

    Ladd cautioned that there must be a sense of accountability for owners, because a vicious dog law does little to prevent the incidents from occurring.

    "Ordinances are pieces of paper," Ladd said. "They're not designed to protect people; they're designed to punish offenders."

    Amanda has yet to have her stitches removed, and said she has had difficulty sleeping and being around dogs since the attack.

    "I've been sleeping with the TV on," Amanda said, "and the other day we went to the park and I saw a pit bull there and I didn't want to get out of the car."

    McCall said he hopes the city does whatever is necessary to make sure no one else has to undergo the kind of trauma Amanda has.

    "My sister said, 'I can't sleep, I'm torn to pieces,'" McCall said. "I said, 'What the hell you can't sleep? My daughter's actually torn to pieces."

    ashley.wiehle@thesouthern.com

    (618) 997-3356 ext. 5807

    http://www.southernillinoisan.com/ar...l/15980676.txt

    BSL Workshop
     
  2. 14rock

    14rock GRCH Dog

    Hmmm...cold, human aggressive dogs bit a child. Where would these dogs be on a dogmans yard, kept to the strict culling policies of the past? Thats right, dead-for both charectoristics!
     
  3. pennsooner

    pennsooner CH Dog





    See, that really troubles me. It seems there is a lot more tolerance for manbiters among dogmen than is sometimes let on. I've seen one poster on this board who said a manbiting female is his top producer. And when I once posted that it seemed like there was more tolerance for manbiters than in the past someone corrected me and claimed they've always been around. Myself, I think everyone, petowner, rescue, dogman shound have manbiters put down. I'm less encouraged about that as time goes on, seems like way too many people make excuses.
     

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