Larry Still says he was taking his dog for an evening stroll and ended up in the emergency room. Still says a man was asking him for directions when his pit bull attacked his little dog.
While trying to break up the fight, Still says the pit bull jumped on him and he was bitten a few times. He has three-inch deep wounds and had to have surgery on his arm. His little dog, Sprout, barely survived the brawl.
Animal Control officers held the pit bull for three days. Taney County Health Department officials say the pit bull's owner showed proof it was up to date on its rabies vaccine, allowing the dog to be released to its owner.
Because of the attack, the Rockaway Beach police department is looking into a pit bull ordinance. The chief hopes to start the discussion at the next city council meeting.
“We are going to look at putting some type of ban on pit bulls or more restrictions on pit bulls, to where, if they do own pit bulls, they are going to have to take certain safety precautions, maybe a higher fence, something where they can't run at large,” said Police Chief David Flora.
The chief says he's looking at what other nearby cities have done with this issue, including Springfield, which put more restrictions on pit bulls several years ago.
“I was aggravated. I couldn't believe it, that they would turn a dog back loose in the public for someone else to get attacked,” said Still.
Meantime, the veterinarian and medical bills are mounting. Still says he wants the owner to take responsibility.
Police say charges are pending for the owner. A reporter's efforts to reach that dog owner for comment were not successful on Thursday.
(KQCD - June 6, 2013)
