"This dog has viciously attacked my family for over a year," Shatoris Jackson told the Saginaw City Council on Monday, Aug. 5. "I have made several reports. Nothing has been done."
Jackson, who lives on the 1400 block of Division, said her neighbor's pit bull on July 30 killed her Chihuahua, Buttercup.
"He grabbed my Chihuahua, pulled it up underneath the fence and mauled it to death and drug the dog back to its dog house," she said.
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| A photograph shows the neighbor's dog with Shatoris Jackson's dead Chihuahua. Jackson said she is not satisfied with the answer she received from Saginaw County Animal Control Director Kevin Wilken after the incident on July 30. |
Animal Control Director Kevin Wilken said he and two other animal control officers investigated with the help of city police officers.
He said they determined that the pit bull likely did kill Jackson's Chihuahua but said the determination was made to not seize the pit pull.
Jackson said she was unsatisfied with Wilken's decision.
"He told me he has the power to give her a ticket, take the dogs or anything," she said. "He is not going to do anything. I asked him, I said, 'What are you waiting for?' He told me 'I have the power, I can do it when I get ready to, and I choose not to.'"
Wilken said he and the other officers decided that the pit bull could not have gotten into Jackson's yard from the neighbor's property.
"We were all in agreement that the pit bull never left its property," he said. "Had we believed the pit bull left its property, I would have pursued a dangerous dog investigation."
Jackson disagrees, claiming holes under the fence are sufficient for the dog to fit through to get into her yard.
In the "dangerous animal investigation protocol" recently approved by Saginaw County commissioners, one of the factors for officers to consider when deciding whether to pursue a dangerous animal complaint is "whether the animal was defending his/her property."
In some situations, Wilken said, it is justified for a dog to defend its property.
Since the officers determined that was likely, Wilken said he did not feel that officers had the authority to take the dog. He said he encouraged its owner to considering euthanizing the pit bull because of the attack.
"It is certainly unfortunate that her Chihuahua was killed," Wilken said. "Unfortunately there is not a whole lot more we can do."
He said animal control officers are not the only ones who can initiate dangerous animal complaints. Anyone can file such a complaint, Wilken said, if they think they can convince a judge the animal in question should be classified as a "dangerous dog" under state law.
Wilken said the owner of the pit bull was cited both for not complying with Saginaw's dangerous dog ordinance and for failing to properly license the dog.
He said animal control officers have several times been called to problems at both homes on Division.
Jackson is mostly recently registered as having three dogs at the home, Wilken said. The neighbor is registered as also having three dogs.
Many Saginaw City Council members responding to Jackson's concerns Monday expressed frustration with Wilken's actions as relayed to them by Jackson.
"What really bothers me is that animal control showed up but didn't remove," Councilman Dan Fitzpatrick said. "It bothers me; it angers me. I know they have a new manager now who apparently doesn't care."
Councilman Larry Coulouris also expressed dissatisfaction with the response Jackson said she got from animal control.
"That's unacceptable for a person working for the taxpayers," Coulouris said.
Many of the city officials advised Jackson to seek help through members of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners.
Mayor Greg Branch said he would personally contact Board Chairman Michael Hanley and County Controller Robert Belleman on Jackson's behalf.
(The Saginaw News - Aug 7, 2013)
