Jamie Chandler said recently that he doesn’t believe his dog is aggressive and that no one is in danger.
Chandler, 38, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge in Butte City Court that alleges that his dog got loose and bit a 12-year-old girl in August.
The incident prompted Butte-Silver Bow Commissioner Terry Schultz in September to propose a new ordinance that would call for harsher penalties and fines on dog owners.
Chandler claims the incident is a “neighbor spat” and has been blown out of proportion. He says his 2-year-old dog, Rongo, likes to jump, but isn’t aggressive toward children.
“If I thought he had that tendency, I’d take him on a one-way trip to the mountains,” Chandler said.
Regardless, Butte Animal Control cited Chandler with misdemeanor having a barking, jumping, biting dog.
Chandler says he’s been keeping the dog in a camp trailer on a friend’s property because he’s been forbidden to have the dog at his apartment.
“This kind of flipped my whole life upside down,” he says, since he now spends time at both his home and the camper.
The 12-year-old girl made a plea to the Butte commissioners earlier this month claiming her life was turned upside down, too, because of the alleged attack.
“It is not fun being bit in the back,” Trinity Berry said during the Oct. 3 commissioners’ meeting. “If you were bitten and you lived right next to a dog, I’m pretty sure that you would not want to go outside either.”
Other concerned citizens also urged the commissioner to take a stand against pet owners with aggressive dogs. Commissioner Schultz says the city needs a more aggressive dog policy.
His proposed ordinance would force an owner charged with having a biting dog to post a bond. If they don’t, the dog would be impounded and the owner would accrue daily kennel fees, plus any other bills such as veterinary care as needed.
If the owner is found innocent, the dog would be returned. But, if convicted, the owner would have to pay the fine plus the fees.
Chandler says he doesn’t think the city needs a more aggressive dog ordinance. He said it’s up to the dog owners to watch their pets closer.
“I think people need to be responsible for their animals,” he said.
(Helena Independent Record-Oct 17, 2012)
