“There shouldn’t have been another victim, period,” said Corey Millard, who was bitten in the first incident along with his 7-year old son, Chance, on June. 1.
 |
| Dogs involved in two attacks this month lived at this residence, 350 30th St. Dr. SE, as shown on June 6, 2012. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette-KCRG) |
Millard said Cedar Rapids Animal Control officers seized the wrong dog after his attack and allowed two other dogs involved to return to the owner.
According to police, Kathleen Foster, 44, was bitten about 10 p.m. Monday as she and other family members stood in her driveway at 358 30th St. Dr. SE. Foster suffered wounds to her left leg and ankle, and another one on her torso, police said.
Sgt. Cristy Hamblin confirmed the dog’s owner as Christopher Morrison, 28, who lives next door to Foster at 350 30th St. Dr. SE.
On June 1, the same dog and two other dogs charged out of Morrison’s house and bit Chance Millard as he accompanied another boy to Morrison’s house after the two had played together in the Millards’ apartment across the street, Corey Millard said. The dog turned on Millard as he tried to rescue his son, causing a deep gash to his left leg that has since become infected.
Animal Control Manager Diane Webber said Tuesday only one of the three dogs was seized the night of the first attack based on statements made by Morrison. She said Millard and his son had already been taken to a hospital by the time an officer arrived to investigate.
State law requires a 10-day quarantine on any dogs involved in a dog bite, but they can be quarantined at the owner’s home as long as the dogs are current on vaccinations, Webber said. She said Morrison was also ordered to put a lock on the inside of his door, which she said he did.
Millard said he spoke to police about concerns he had when he realized two of the three dogs were still across the street from his apartment building.
Animal Control officers seized the other two dogs June 4 based on Millard’s call and continued to investigate. Millard said he made it “more than clear” that a white dog was the primary attacker during conversations with the authorities, but Webber said Millard only indicated all three dogs were involved and “never pinpointed the white dog to us.”
Largely based on a lack of witness statements, Webber said the two dogs were returned to Morrison on Friday. The white dog then attacked Foster on Monday.
Foster said Tuesday she had spent time with all three dogs in the past and never considered them to be vicious. She was unsure what could have caused the white dog to attack her.
Webber, of Animal Control, said dog-bite reports are often difficult to investigate.
“When we don’t have witness statements, we wind up with situations like this, where our hands are tied, and animals that shouldn’t go back, go back,” Webber said.
Webber said the first dog seized has already been euthanized, and the other two dogs also will be put down after Morrison, who declined to comment, turned them over Monday.
The three pit bulls were involved in another attack last year, but a judge dismissed the case, Webber said.
Earlier:
