"Considering what this (victim) has gone through ... it hardly seems adequate," Common Pleas Judge Craig T. Trebilcock said of the sentence. "But that's the law and we're bound by it."
On April 24, the judge found Chester Little guilty of harboring dangerous dogs, failing to vaccinate the dogs for rabies and failing to license them with the county. All offenses are summary violations.
Little, 49, of 415 Pleasant St., returned home the evening of June 1, 2010, right around the time his pit bulls Angel and Midge got out of their fenced-in yard and attacked Ajia Brown of Uncasville, Conn.
A large portion of Ajia's scalp was torn off during the attack, as were much of both ears, according to testimony.
17 surgeries: Now 10 years old, Ajia has undergone 17 surgeries and 54 other procedures since the June 1, 2010, attack, according to Bucks County-based civil attorney Thomas Newell.
Newell said the boy will need at least one more surgery, and that medical bills have exceeded $500,000.
Ajia and his mother, Elizabeth Brown, were in Hanover visiting Little's mother, Marjorie Nicholson, who owns the property.
So far, the Browns have not sued Little or Nicholson, according to Newell, who said the Browns "have a variety of options."
The Browns did not ask prosecutors to seek restitution against Little, according to senior deputy prosecutor Jennifer Russell.
'Unusual case': Just before handing down Little's sentence Wednesday, Trebilcock noted it was an unusual case in that Ajia suffered "horrific injuries" but that Little was only convicted of summary offenses.
The judge imposed the maximum fine of $300 on three counts -- harboring dangerous dogs and two counts of failing to vaccinate the dogs for rabies.
Trebilcock noted he's convinced Little didn't know his dogs were dangerous at the time of the attack.
He said he handed down the maximum fines on the rabies charges because Little failed to produce vaccination records, forcing Ajia to suffer the additional pain of rabies shots.
The fines "hardly seem to ... cover the degree of discomfort this (boy) went through," the judge said.
Where's Angel? Responding officers fatally shot Midge minutes after the attack, but by that time Little had taken Angel inside, police said.
When officers returned the next day to take custody of Angel, they were told she was no longer there and that Little would not turn her over, according to testimony.
After his April 24 conviction, Little declined to say where Angel was.
On Wednesday, Little told The York Dispatch that Angel has remained in his home since the attack.
Requirements: The dangerous-dog conviction requires Little, in part, to keep a $50,000 liability insurance policy on Angel, muzzle her when in public, have a secure outdoor enclosure and submit to state inspections.
Defense attorney Farley Holt said Little will appeal the dangerous-dog determination. Some of the dangerous-dog requirements will be stayed pending that post-sentence motion, Holt said.
Little maintains the attack happened because Ajia taunted the dogs and let them out of
their yard. Ajia testified he did neither of those things.
(York Dispatch - May 2, 2012)
