SOUTH DAKOTA -- A dog that was presumed dead, after being shot by police for allegedly killing a terrier, was found alive Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Don Lanpher Jr. said at Tuesday's Aberdeen City Council meeting.
Officers were searching a slough area northeast of the overpass when the dog, Sally, ran into the road, Lanpher said.
A woman driving on the road saw the dog was injured, let the dog into her vehicle and took her to a veterinarian.
On Oct. 3, a police officer shot Sally, a 2-year-old pit bull/Lab cross, after police say she killed a West Highland terrier, Pearl, that day in a garage. Pearl belonged to Jack May, who lives on Stewart Drive.
Another dog, Hercules, a 10-month-old pit bull, was with Sally on Wednesday, but he did not kill the terrier, police said.
Both dogs are owned by Ashley and Mattheus Badenhorst, who have three children who played with the dogs, Lanpher said. The Badenhorsts did not attend the council meeting.
Sally and Hercules escaped Oct. 2 from a fenced area, Lanpher said. The owners reported that the dogs were missing the same night.
Lanpher said the public wasn't initially alerted because police had no reason to believe that Sally was a danger to humans.
Pete Hesla, who lives on Stewart Drive, talked to the City Council Tuesday about the death of Pearl. Hesla works for the city of Aberdeen, but he was speaking as a private citizen. May was at the meeting, but let Hesla do most of the talking.
Hesla told the council that last week a “vicious act occurred in our neighborhood.” Pearl, an 18-pound dog, was “murdered by a pit bull,” he said.
Hesla told the council that Pearl was a fixture in the neighborhood and that the residents knew and loved the dog. The garage door of the May home was open slightly, but the pit bull had to work to get into the garage, he said.
Hesla said a number of small children live in the area and questioned how their safety could be guaranteed when a dog that lives over a mile away enters the neighborhood.
In addition to losing Pearl, the neighborhood has lost its peace and serenity, he said.
“We don't need killers living in our community,” Hesla said.
He urged the council to ban pit bulls.
Lanpher said that when May came home Wednesday afternoon, he saw one of the dogs outside. The other dog was in the garage, and the dog inside the garage was dead.
“The pit bull came out of the garage, and Mr. May threw a small shovel at the dog,” Lanpher told the council. “The dog did not attack Mr. May, but ran away. We have no indication that the dog is aggressive towards humans.”
With the help of the Badenhorsts, the police were able to get Hercules without much trouble, Lanpher said. That dog is in custody, he said.
“The older dog would not come,” Lanpher said. The dog was just out of reach but would not come, he said.
“The officer made a decision at that time with the owner's consent to shoot the older dog.”
It was getting toward dark, Lanpher said.
The officer fired three shots, hitting the dog once, he said. The dog ran off; they tried tracking her in the dark and lost her, Lanpher said.
Mattheus Badenhorst was cited with two counts of allowing a dog to run at large. If he's found guilty, the fine is normally $92 per count. The Badenhorsts have the option of paying for the dog's medical expenses or putting it down, Lanpher said.
Because the dog attacked and killed another animal, there's a possibility that the city's animal review board will decide to put the dog down. There's also a possibility that the two dogs might be returned to the owner because he has complied with the regulations that apply to owners of dangerous animals.
He has a fence, his property is posted and he has insurance on both dogs, Lanpher said.
Mayor Mike Levsen said it has been established that the dog is not aggressive toward adults, but there is no evidence how the dog might react to a child who is 2 feet tall. Lanpher said that's true, but the family's three children have been able to play with both dogs, he said.
"Children played with the dogs at the house," Lanpher said. "There was no reason to imagine they would attack anyone."
After hearing from Hesla and Lanpher, the council agreed to re-examine its animal control ordinances.
In March 2011, the council revised the city's animal control ordinances.
At Tuesday's meeting, councilman David Bunsness and Levsen said they favored banning pit bulls last year. Bunsness said if not a ban, the council should consider strengthening the city's laws about pet control.
“This is a ticking time bomb, in my opinion,” Bunsness said.
Levsen pointed out that last year, he said it was just a matter of time until a horrific incident happened. This time it was a dog that was killed, not a child, he noted, but his point remains accurate.
(Aberdeen News - October 9, 2012)
