Montreal L. Howard, 37, who lives in Allentown near the township border, on Wednesday was issued a summons for allegedly allowing two pit bulls to run at large in the township.
Officer Bryan S. Losagio, who investigated the case, said Howard was charged with only a summary offense because it appears the dogs ran free by accident.
"It was an honest mistake that they got out, and he just couldn't get them," Losagio said. "Within 10 minutes after they got out, he called the Humane Society to report them missing."
While the female pit bull stood by, Howard's male pit bull on Monday attacked a 25-pound cockapoo owned by Tammie Jesperger of the 1400 block of Pearl Avenue.
Losagio said neither pit bull showed signs it was trained to be aggressive.
"The dogs didn't look like they were abused," he said. "They didn't have any obvious signs."
The pit bulls ran up to Oreo, the cockapoo, about noon Monday as Bill Tittel, Jesperger's father, returned home after taking the dog for a walk.
The male pit bull attacked, breaking the 6-year-old cockapoo's jaw, ripping the skin at his throat and leaving several deep puncture wounds, Losagio said.
The pit bull, almost 2 years old, weighed about 70 pounds, according to Jesperger.
After Jesperger and Tittel fought with the pit bull for 40 minutes, they freed the cockapoo and ran into the house. When police arrived, both pit bulls were standing outside the front door.
A Salisbury officer met Jesperger at the back door, and she and the injured dog slipped into the police cruiser for a ride to an Emmaus veterinary hospital.
The male pit bull turned on police, who were preparing to tranquilize the dog when it attacked, Losagio said.
A township officer shot the pit bull three times with a shotgun and once with a .40 caliber pistol before the dog chased him back to his car.
"It just kept coming," Losagio said.
Then a Fountain Hill officer fired two more .40 caliber rounds from a pistol and the dog was dead, police said.
Howard faces a fine for violating the leash law and he may have to make restitution for the medical care given Oreo, Jesperger and Tittel, police said.
(McCall - Feb 8, 2013)
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