NORTH CAROLINA -- A dog that attacked a puppy and bit a man on Monday in the Hoskins Road area was declared potentially dangerous by Burlington Animal Services.
Tamee Penley, supervisor of animal services, said she notified the dog’s owner, Brandon Griggs, Friday. Penley said that Griggs intends to find another home for the dog.
“He doesn’t want anyone to feel unsafe in the neighborhood nor do we,” Penley said.
[That's nice of him... However, clearly he has no concern about dumping his problem dog onto another neighborhood and putting them in danger.]
If the dog, a Labrador/pit bull mix, goes to another home, it’s still considered potentially dangerous.
“The paperwork goes with the dog, even if he changes ownership,” Penley said. “Whoever owns him will have to follow the same guidelines.”
The owner of a dog declared potentially dangerous has to keep the dog in a locked kennel if it’s in the yard unattended. If the owner walks the dog, the dog must wear a muzzle. Animal services is required to make sure those guidelines are followed.
Penley began investigating the dog after an incident on Monday. Leon Gunter was walking in the neighborhood at about 10 a.m. with his two 4-year-old granddaughters. He also was walking his daughter’s puppy, a Boston terrier, on a leash. He was in the area of Hoskins Road and Hoskins Circle when he hear a dog barking.
Gunter said he then saw the dog in the street and picked up the puppy. The dog lunged for the puppy and grabbed it out of Gunter’s hands. Gunter kicked the dog and picked the puppy up again. The dog grabbed for the puppy again.
At that point, Gunter, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out a gun and shot the dog.
Gunter called 911 and both Burlington police and animal services investigated. The dog and puppy were both treated by a veterinarian. Gunter’s hands were injured, and he was treated at Alamance Regional Medical Center. The puppy needed surgery. Both of Gunter’s granddaughters were traumatized by the event, he said.
The dog’s rabies shots were up to date. It had to be quarantined for 10 days in a building in Griggs’ yard as a precaution and while animal services investigated to determine if the dog should be declared potentially dangerous.
Penley told the Times-News earlier in the week that several factors are considered before a dog is declared dangerous, including whether the incident occurred off the owner’s property and whether there had been previous complaints. At the time, Penley didn’t think animal services had received any other complaints on the dog.
On Friday, she told the Times-News that after researching, she found that animal services was called to the neighborhood in March because the dog got out and the owner was issued a written warning for a dog “running at large.”
Burlington police was called to the neighborhood in September for the same reason. Penley said animal services also investigated a barking complaint for that area, but she couldn’t confirm it was for that dog.
As part of the investigation, Penley also talked to neighbors.
“It seems some of them saw the dog out, put the dog back and notified the owner,” Penley said. “I think everyone was wanting to be neighborly.”
(Times-News - June 8, 2012)
