ILLINOIS -- It took a while for Jerry and Beverly Hash to get over their grief and get another dog.
Two years ago, their little dog Spike was shot dead in the back yard of their home. The shooting was senseless, by a gunman who was never caught.
When I wrote about the pet slaying, Beverly Hash doubted the retired couple would ever get another pet: "It would probably happen again. I don't want to take a chance."
Two years ago, their little dog Spike was shot dead in the back yard of their home. The shooting was senseless, by a gunman who was never caught.
When I wrote about the pet slaying, Beverly Hash doubted the retired couple would ever get another pet: "It would probably happen again. I don't want to take a chance."
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| George, lucky to be alive |
But they did take a chance, with George, a mix-breed Papillon. Yet Tuesday, a pit bull climbed over their 5-foot back-yard fence and nearly ripped George's life away. But Beverly Hash scared off the sharp-toothed attacker.
Her husband says, "We were lucky we were home. We've lived here 25 years, and no dog ever jumped that fence."
Jerry Hash, 67, and Beverly Hash, 66, live in a ranch home in the 1600 block of South Kneer Avenue. It's modest but tidy, like many of the homes on the block, something of an oasis in a part of town oft-rife with dilapidated housing.
Spike came along in 2004. He was a Cairn terrier, the same breed as Toto in "The Wizard of Oz." He was a friendly, happy dog whose worst sin was over-licking the hands of the many neighbor kids who'd stop by to pet his fuzzy face.
In late January 2010, Jerry Hash left Spike outside to do his business. He heard a thump, then later went outside to find the dog lifeless, a hole in its side. Police said the weapon likely was a high-power airgun; Jerry Hash believes the size of the bullet hole indicate a small-caliber pistol.
Either way, the result was the same. A pointless pet killing. No arrest was ever made.
The mournful Hashes decided not to have another dog. But six months later, one of their adult daughters was getting a Papillon, and she pushed her parents to do likewise. They caved upon seeing a floppy-eared male, which they named George.
Much like its predecessor, the playful pooch liked to play outside, where the couple always keeps the fence locked. When he'd want to come in, he'd hop atop his flat-foot dog house and stare inside, through a kitchen window. The dog-mindful Hashes would spot George and open the door.
Early Tuesday afternoon, as the Hashes were home, George stood by the back door to indicate the need for a potty break. Beverly let him out the back door, then went back to housework - until shaken by a startling sound.
"I heard George screaming," she says.
Beverly hurried outside to see a tan pit bull atop the 19-pound George. The pit, who had clambered over the fence, had George pinned to the ground, teeth tearing into one of George's legs.
Beverly rushed back into the house to grab a broom.
"I was gonna beat the hell out of that pit bull," she says with disgust.
But her bustling apparently had spooked the four-legged intruder. Before she could get back outside, it bolted away - again over the fence easily.
With George's leg gushing blood, Beverly Hash called 911. The commotion had alerted her husband from elsewhere in the house. His wife quickly explained the attack, and he dashed to his car. He drove before spotting a tan pit bull, running south. He followed the dog, which ran to the yard at 1707 S. Kneer Avenue, just a block away.
Safe inside the car, Jerry Hash kept his eye on the dog as he called 911 on his cell phone.
"He had blood on him," Jerry says.
Peoria police soon arrived, as did an officer with Peoria County Animal Protection Services. Jerry Hash says a man came outside the house and yelled to him, "If you don't press charges, I'll pay for the vet."
Jerry Hash just stared at him, stunned. Meantime, the animal-control officer cited occupant Joshua Collier with an ordinance violation of letting a dog run loose and biting another pet. The fine is $300, though Collier will have to address the matter in court.
This is the second fine for Collier regarding the dog - a 4-year-old pit bull named Karma. In September, Collier was fined $125 for the same thing: Karma got loose and attacked another dog, across the street from the Hash home.
Authorities aren't certain who owns the dog. Though Collier accepted the tickets, Karma's vaccination was under the name of Mindy Ulrich, who also lists her address as 1707 S. Kneer Ave. Another pit bull, Tank, lives there. One sign on the door warns, "BEWARE OF DOG." Another says, "Forget the dog, beware of the kids." No one from that dwelling responded to a request for comment for this story.
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| Spike the terrier dances for a treat from his owners, Beverly and Jerry Hash. Spike was gunned down in the back yard of their home |
But that's pretty weak discipline, as Malmberg admits. You can't let dogs run free in Peoria anyway, and many pet owners already use microchips. So, the only big difference from a dangerous-dog designation would be a muzzle. Then again, the county ordinance is stronger than do-little state laws.
If Karma were to attack another dog, the county could seek another fine. If Karma were to attack a person, the owner could be charged with a class 4 felony, though that's a rarity. Malmberg keeps pushing legislators for statutory changes, to make dog violations misdemeanors and felonies.
Meantime, there's nothing more to be done regarding Karma. "We're hoping (the owner) will turn the dog over to us," Malmberg says - and that's a one-way trip with a permanent solution.
That would be fine with the Hashes, who worry about another attack on George. Under antibiotics to ward off infection, George stayed overnight Tuesday at a veterinary hospital, for observation of severe gashes. A vet was to decide whether George would need stitches, but the expectation was the dog would be home soon.
When George gets back, the Hashes plan to protect the pooch whenever it goes outside.
"We can't leave him out there unless we're with him," Beverly Hash says.
And though George's wounds will heal, she wonders about any fallout. After the attack, the dog cowered and whimpered, for the first time ever.
"I'm still shook up," she says. "I hope it doesn't change his personality."
(Peoria Journal Star - Jan 19, 2011)
