“I am so, so depressed about this,” said Albrecht, 84, who injured his back and suffered a fractured wrist when he and his dog were mauled last month by a loose German shepherd. “It can’t happen to anyone else.”
Oak Lawn Trustee Carol Quinlan agrees. Her 5th District includes the neighborhood where the attack took place, and she wants the village board to examine the animal control ordinance.
Currently, dogs in Oak Lawn are not required to wear a leash when they are in their owner’s yard.
“Once the dog is off your property, (then) it’s considered running at-large,” said Barry Adamczyk, the village’s animal control officer. He said the fine for that offense is $50.
“I think the fines have to be stiffer,” Quinlan said. “Most dogs will go after another dog. Dogs can’t be hanging out in the front of houses unleashed.”
The attack happened Sept. 14 when Albrecht was taking Niko on a morning walk in the 4900 block of Oak Center Drive.
“I thought maybe the dog was going to come and sniff,” said Albrecht, a 55-year resident of Oak Lawn.
But he quickly realized the German shepherd was aggressive. So Albrecht scooped Niko off the sidewalk in an effort to protect him. But his efforts were in vain. The German shepherd began to bite Niko’s hind legs, Albrecht said.
“He got rambunctious and jumped up,” Albrecht said. “Niko’s a very small dog. He was no match for a 65-pound German shepherd. He tried to devour her whole head.”
Niko lost an eye and was bitten 12 times. The 11-year-old dog required surgery and spent nearly a month at the Worth Animal Hospital before coming home last week.
Albrecht also was injured.
“He pursued me with vigor,” said Albrecht, who was knocked to the ground by the German shepherd. “It took three people to get the dog off of me. I almost lost my life. He had my whole hand in his mouth.”
Albrecht underwent surgery to have nine pins inserted in his fractured wrist. He also injured his back as a result of the fall.
He’s worn four different casts to help reduce pain and swelling and may require additional surgery, he said.
“My arm and my fingers, everything feels like it’s in a vice,” Albrecht said.
Albrecht said he does not blame the owner of the German shepherd for the attack, but he wants to make sure something like it never happens again.
“I don’t hold any animosity against them,” Albrecht said.
He’s decided to push for stricter village regulations regarding the leashing of dogs.
“I survived, but would a child?” said Albrecht, who no longer walks his dog in the neighborhood.
(Southtown Star - Oct 14, 2011)
