GEORGIA -- A potentially dangerous dog hearing Monday at the Madison City Council meeting was cut short after the dog’s owner viewed images of a bite mark on a 9-year-old boy.
Sandra Crowley quickly called the hearing to a halt after she was presented with images of the child’s arm.
Madison Animal Control Officer Cindy Weimann produced the images for the Madison City Council for review in the Aug. 14, 2011 incident.
According to Weimann, the child, who is related to Crowley, went to the backyard of the Penor Street house to pet the 80-pound male pit bull. The dog was tethered with a chain, Wiemann said, but a female pit bull in heat was within 50 feet of the dog.
And, while the child had played with the dog on prior occasions, the dog bit the boy on the arm. The bite required nine stitches.
“Due to the severity of the wound we did decide to declare the dog potentially dangerous,” Wiemann said. Wiemann also said at the time of the attack the dog did not have a rabies vaccination nor was it registered with the city.
Crowley said the family had purchased the dog more than two years ago as a plaything for her grandson.
Madison City Council member Connie Booth asked Crowley if the attack made her feel concern for her 5-year-old grandson. “I hadn’t seen the pictures before,” she said. “Yes, it does bother me.”
“From seeing that picture it scares me for my grandson. I could not put my grandson through that,” she tearfully said. “I don’t want him (the dog) back.”
Weimann said the dog, which has been held by City of Madison Animal Control since the incident, will be euthanized.
(Morgan County Citizen - September 15, 2011)
