Rick Travale, owner of the 80-lb. Pit Bull, was also ordered by pay a total of $5,007 to cover veterinarian expenses for the tiny dog, which had to be euthanized because of the severity of his injuries.
On Christmas morning, 2011, Shannon Johnson answered the knock of a young neighbor girl on the door of her home on Wood Street. When she opened the door, a Pit Bull who was on the street, ran into the house and attacked the family’s small white poodle, Max...
Johnson grabbed the pit bull to pull it away from Max, but it broke loose and ran out the door,” leaving behind a hallway splattered with blood and Max clinging to life,” according to Spec.Com. Her young son, Jacob, 6, watched the whole event in terror.
“The entire family was traumatized says Jim Reeve, Jacob’s father. “There was blood … all over. It was horrible,” Reeve had gone out to get coffee and was not there until shortly after the attack. He reported that the scene was chaotic and emotional, with everyone focusing on desperate efforts to save Max. Little Max made a valiant fight to survive but had to be put down that night.
About 45 minutes earlier on December 25, the same pit bull had attacked Virginia Vader a few blocks away while she was walking her dog. She was saved by the efforts of a passerby.
The incident has horrified dog lovers in the usually quiet neighborhood and many reported that their hearts were deeply touched when they learned that Jacob has Asperger syndrome, a mild form of autism. Jim Reeve reported that Jabob is afraid of big dogs and added that this past Christmas was difficult. “It was much more emotional, and we talked of Max,” he said.”
Reeve is adamant about pursuing the matter further with a lawsuit against the owner. “It’s definitely not over, he told Spec.com..” Since the attack occurred, Johnson and Reeve have filed repeatedly with the City for information on the identity of the dog owner. However, it was only a few weeks ago, when they were summoned to testify in court that they discovered the name of Rick Travale. They had already filed a $25,000 lawsuit against two other people believed to own the dog.
Johnson was spared testifying and having to relive the incident in court because Travale pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Dog Owners Liability Act. He was banned from owning another dog for ten years because of (1) failing to prevent the dog from biting or attacking a person or domestic animal and (2) allowing the Pit Pull to stray. He was fined $1,000 for each charge. A $500 victim surcharge was added.
The Pit Bull was impounded shortly after the attack and was euthanized by Animal Control.
In a 2009 incident in Arizona, a small white poodle named, Fabian, was killed by a Pit Bull that ran across the street and attacked while the tiny dog was on leash in his own driveway. This led to the passage of “Fabian’s Law” in 2011, which allows recovery of veterinary costs and contains other provisions:
(Opposing Views - Mar 2, 2012)
