The simple act of taking your dog for a walk doesn't have to be life-threatening, but an East Dundee woman's story has prompted authorities to remind pet owners about the importance of following village ordinances and keeping pets in check. I started calling.
Paula Lauer adopted Lou, a Chihuahua mix, from the Hoof Woof & Meow Animal Shelter in Elgin. My 8 year old, 12 pound dog goes for walks twice a day.
Lauer said she was walking through her neighborhood one day last month when a dark charcoal-colored pit bull came out of a house. When the animal spotted Roo and started charging at him, he scooped her up and ran to a nearby house.
“I knocked on the door and this guy let me in,” Lauer said. “The dog ran up to the front door and was barking, trying to get into the house.”
The resident called 911, but before police arrived, a truck stopped outside and the driver retrieved the dog and left, police said.
Responding officers pursued the pit bull's owner, but were unable to take any action as this was the first time the animal had been involved in such an incident and no one was injured.
The dog still lives there and Lauer avoids walking past her house because she's worried it will happen again, but she's not afraid to walk in her area. I'm annoyed that I have to.
“This area is small, so there aren’t a lot of options,” she said. “If you want to walk around your block, you have to take detours. I think you should be able to walk around your neighborhood without being so scared.”
Lauer filed a complaint with the East Dundee Village Board, and Police Chief Joshua Fordyce reviewed the ordinance at the board's request, following several dog attacks in 2020. Agreed to consider whether there is a need to expand beyond the changes. village.
Ms Fordyce said she spoke to the pit pull's owner, who confirmed that the dog had been aggressive while there and explained the consequences if the dog started attacking again and biting people or other animals. .
Instead of adding to the ordinance, the mayor recommended that the village start a campaign to inform dog owners that they will pay a price if their dogs leave their homes or yards or violate other rules. did.
Following this, the village launched a social media campaign this week reminding people that they are responsible for their pets' actions.
The village's animal control ordinance states that dogs must be kept on a leash no longer than 8 feet when walked, and owners must clean up if a dog defecates. Up to 4 dogs in single-family homes, and 1 dog or cat in apartment buildings. Owners must deal with excessive barking and other nuisance behavior.
“The Chief of Police believes that when a dog is unmuzzled, off-leash, or left unattended by its owner or handler, a reasonable person would have caused serious bodily injury or unreasonable danger.'' We have the authority to consider a dog dangerous if it behaves in a way that we believe poses a serious threat.'' According to the ordinance, the killing of a person or pet in a public place, including any act of intimidation. ).
If the dog is found to be dangerous, the owner must comply with additional restrictions detailed in the ordinance.
Residents are told in the post to report violations of the ordinance, especially regarding aggressive dogs, to police.
Lauer said she carries pepper spray with her when she walks her dog, but “there's no need to do that.” She also says she's not sure she'll have the time or composure to use it given how quickly things are unfolding.
It would be different if this was a one-time experience, but Lauer said she and Lou have been attacked by unleashed dogs three times in the past six years. One of them was a wolfhound that grabbed the family dog by the neck.
“They prey on (small dogs), shake them, and break their spines,” Lauer said, adding that the only reason Roo wasn't hurt was because it was winter and his coat was thick.
She says she doesn't know what the outcome would have been if she hadn't been able to take shelter in a neighbor's house during the recent attacks.
“(But) we weren't bitten, so there's nothing we can do under the ordinance,” Lauer said.
In her opinion, East Dundee needs to be more proactive in determining whether a dog is dangerous. She says what's the difference between a dog attacking someone and someone running down the street with a machete?
“This is a dangerous situation. We shouldn't wait for something terrible to happen,” she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
