IOWA -- A Yorkshire terrier was deemed not vicious by the Hampton City Council Tuesday night after it bit a woman on Sept. 7.
Holly Lang, Hampton, was walking with a friend past the home of Kathy Meadows, 908 First St. S.W., when Meadows' 9-month-old yorkshire terrier, Mozart, ran up to Lang and bit her on the upper thigh, according to Hampton Police Department Capt. Jim Hilton. The dog was on a chain at the time of incident, but was able to reach the sidewalk.
Lang was treated at the Franklin General Hospital where she received a tetanus shot, Hilton said. Mozart was up to date on his vaccinations.
Meadows said on that particular day her lawn had been mowed and she put the stake in too close to the sidewalk or should have put it in the backyard.
"I was stunned," she said about when Lang told her Mozart had bitten her. "He has never bit anyone else before. He's a sweet, loving puppy and brings a lot of joy to people."
Meadows said she often takes the dog to the assisted living center in Hampton where she works and had never had problems there. Her manager, neighbors and friends also testified that Mozart has never exhibited vicious tendencies.
"Why do you think he bit her?" councilwoman Karen Schmidt asked Meadows.
"I think he was just playing," Meadows said. "He's a puppy."
A woman who witnessed it agreed.
"It was playful," she said. "It wasn't vicious."
Lang didn't attend the meeting but told Hilton and Councilman Dick Lukensmeyer she was OK with giving the dog a second chance.
The council agreed and unanimously voted the dog not vicious, but the incident will be recorded.
Meadows promised to keep the dog in the backyard rather than her front yard.
(Courier Lee News - Sept 28, 2011)
