The Austin dog owners in this case were friends. One walking a Lab, Shepard mix the other walking a Pit Bull. They were both walking in Lansing Township when the two dogs attacked each other. The owner of the lab was bit when she stepped in, injuring her leg and losing the tip of her finger.
"He's just an all-around good dog,” said Michael Marsolek. He was surprised his daughter's Pit Bull, was part of the attack in Lansing Township. An attack that left one of the owners injured. ,"She just happen to have her hand in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he bit part of her finger off," said Marsolek.
However, those injuries are what's concerning to police. "We are requesting at this time that the dogs be deemed as dangerous. At this point we are not asking the dogs be put down," said Chief Brian Krueger with the Austin Police Department. Police say dangerous dogs seem to be causing more problems recently, like the most shocking attack when a Chihuahua was killed by a Pit Bull this summer.
"She's too scared, too many memories," said Sheryl Battin. She says her daughter, the owner of that Chihuahua is too scared to come back to the Austin Dog Park, where it all happened. She says it was even tough for her to return, "Because I can still picture everything that happened," said Battin. She says she now keeps an eye out for pit bulls. "I'm just, you know, I guess I'm leery of them," said Battin.
While others say, we shouldn't swear off on the breed. "He's good around the baby, he's good around my daughter," said Marsolek.
"I know a guy that raises them and he says it’s kind of hard, they can turn on you, but it also has to do with the owner too and how they raise them and how they treat them," said Battin.
That's who many have come to blame, not the dog but the owners. "It's a difference in the people, she doesn't make it mean, some people make it mean," said Marsolek about his daughter.
"The bottom line is the owners are responsible for their own dog," said Chief Krueger.
Sioux City Iowa actually has a ban on the Pit Bull breed. Recently, they've been in the news for rescue groups trying to get that ban lifted. Mayor Stiehm of Austin has told us in the past that they aren't going to ban the breed, though he's has shown frustration with these attacks.
(KAAL - August 23, 2012)
