GEORGIA -- Thomaston Police Animal Control Officer Bobby Ellington will be out of work for at least another three weeks after having torn a muscle in his right leg Feb. 11 while capturing a vicious pit bull roaming loose on Avenue E.
"As soon as I can get back to work," Ellington said, "I'm going to talk to the chief and see what I can do about getting these fines for having vicious animals increased."
The dog was destroyed last week after the owner, Gary Thornton, 116 Avenue E, failed to pick up the animal from the Upson County Animal Shelter. Also last Monday, Thornton was charged with violating city ordinances by having a dangerous animal and failure to show proof of rabies vaccination for the animal.
Ellington, who has worked at the local department for 18 years, said although the dog incident happened more than two weeks ago, he just got off crutches last Wednesday.
"I couldn't even walk at first," he said. "My quad muscle got torn in half and the doctors say there's not much they can do, that it'll just have to mend on it's own, but it sure does hurt."
Council member Lila Bryan called police after her neighbor's pit bull escaped through a hole in a chain link fence. The dog attacked Ellington as he was captured it.
(Thomaston Times - March 1, 2004)
