PENNSYVLANIA -- An Ephrata woman whose pit bull attacked a local teenager last year will not be fined for having a dangerous dog.
Darla Joy Zeiset, 30, was originally charged with two violations regarding her pit bull, “Molly,” after the dog bit an 18-year-old man in the face on Sept. 26.
The pit bull had just had puppies and bit the teen inside Zeiset’s North Church Street home that night, officials said.
The victim’s wound required stitches, according to officials.
However, investigators determined that Zeiset shouldn’t be prosecuted for having a dangerous dog because the teen wasn’t given permission to be in her home.
The fine would have been $135.50.
Zeiset was appealing that charge in Lancaster County Court; prosecutors dropped the charge on Thursday.
Zeiset pleaded guilty and will pay a fine for keeping puppies that weren’t vaccinated for rabies.
Zeiset gave permission to a female acquaintance to be inside her home, but not the female’s boyfriend — who was bitten, defense lawyer Roger Renteria said.
“The victim should not have been in her house,” Renteria said Thursday. “The boyfriend went along [inside] without Darla knowing.”
The victim claimed the pit bull broke through a cage and attacked him.
Renteria said Zeiset didn’t keep the dog unrestrained in the house.
“Darla was emphatic that the cage door was locked with the dog and the puppies in it,” Renteria said. “My theory and the logical conclusion is that they saw puppies and they wanted to pet them and they tried to.”
(LancasterOnline - June 1, 2015)
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