Park County, WY: Taking bite out of vicious dogs?

Here’s another very poorly written news article filled with drama, emotion, and tons of quotes rather than cold hard information.

Summary: One family’s group of dogs is running loose and attacking other dogs in Park County. (The owner says the dogs are not “pit bulls,” but that didn’t stop this media source from saying they might be.) A neighbor is asking Park County commissioners to strengthen the county’s dog laws. Apparently, in Park County, people are allowed to shoot loose dogs that attack people or livestock, but they cannot shoot loose dogs that attack other dogs.

It’s not clear how the commissioners will decide to deal with this issue. BSL has not been specifically mentioned. If you wish to contact Park County commissioners, please offer polite, constructive advice (leash laws, non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws) and avoid bombarding them with tales about sweet pit bulls. That is not the issue here. They need solutions.

The Park County Commissioners meet monthly on the first three Tuesdays starting at 8:15 a.m.
http://www.parkcounty.us/commissioners/commissioners.htm
Park County Commissioners, 1002 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, Wyoming 82414
Next Commissioners Meetings: May 5, 12, and 19, 8:15 am

Bill Brewer, Chairman(R), 307-587-5741, bbrewer@parkcounty.us
Bucky Hall, Vice Chairman (R), 307-587-3684, bhall@parkcounty.us
Jill Shockley Siggins, Commissioner (R), 307-587-3901, jsiggins@parkcounty.us
Dave Burke, Commissioner (R), 307-587-6702, dburke@parkcounty.us
Tim A. French, Commissioner (R), 307-754-5420, tfrench@parkcounty.us
Admin. Assistant Peggy A. Ruble, 307-527-8510, pruble@parkcounty.us

http://www.codyenterprise.com/articles/2009/04/22/news/doc49ef8a891e2dc500727386.txt 

Taking bite out of vicious dogs?

By Carole Cloudwalker
Cody Enterprise
Last modified: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 3:49 PM MDT

Park County is considering a resolution to help law enforcement deal with vicious dogs roaming in rural areas.

County commissioners Tuesday heard pleas from former Park County Undersheriff Bob Spears, now retired, who said his family has lost one pet and has been fearful for their personal safety on their own Sage Creek property because of a neighbor’s dogs.

“I don’t think I’m a trouble-maker,” Spears told the commissioners, who included his one-time supervisor, retired Park County Sheriff Bill Brewer.

But he said family property on Sage Creek Road has been the scene of attacks on pets by three dogs Spears described as “pit bull types” owned by Dr. Stacey Tarr, DVM, and his wife Jennifer.

“I’m not against any animal, I’m just against the situation,” Spears said, adding that he does not dislike pit bulls as a breed.

But he said the three dogs in question were involved in “at least six attacks on other dogs” and his daughter, who lives next to the Tarrs, had to have one dog destroyed after an attack by the trio.

The dog was an aging “three-legged, 30-pound collie mix,” that had to be euthanized because of injuries sustained in one attack by the neighbor’s dogs, Spears said.

He said numerous sheriff’s department complaints have been filed, and the Tarrs paid several veterinary bills on behalf of the Spears family because of injuries apparently inflicted by their dogs.

Spears said his family has been concerned “about the neighbor kids and other dogs.” He added his daughter’s donkey also was attacked by the Tarr dogs, though it did not sustain injuries from the incident.

He said his family is fearful of attacks when they go out to feed horses his daughter boards for extra income.

One other Sage Creek neighbor lady “carries a gun on her own property” when she goes out, following an attack on her dog by Tarr’s animals, Spears added.

He told the commissioners that when he goes to the owners of the attacking dogs, they tell him it was not their dogs who were involved.

Spears added that deputies responding to complaint calls tell him he is allowed to shoot a dog attacking livestock or people on his property, but not if they are fighting with other dogs.

Spears, who has served in the military as well as working for the sheriff’s department and has extensive weapons training, is an expert marksman, but said the opportunity to shoot the dogs never arose.

In addition to filing sheriff’s reports, Spears said he spoke with Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric about the “dangerous” situation.

“If a dog comes on my property and kills a sheep, I have recourse, but not if it (kills) a family pet,” Spears said.

“It is the responsibility of all governments including the county to protect the health and safety of citizens,” Spears said. “This is a critical issue.”

The city of Cody recently “dealt with it when a dog killed a horse, and the city ordinance (ordered) the animal destroyed,” Spears said.

“We shouldn’t have to live in fear” in the county, he added.

Spears, whose voice broke as he spoke, asked commissioners to approve a resolution, stating penalties for anyone harboring a vicious dog.

“I get emotional when I talk about it,” said Spears, who agreed to work on a committee to look into the situation and help draft such a resolution.

“You shouldn’t have to live like that,” commission chairman Brewer told Spears, adding, “I have three Pomeranian, and if a dog killed one of them I don’t know what I’d do.”

Commissioner Tim French added that he also has “pets at home that I dearly love,” though he wondered how to define “vicious” in a resolution, and who would make the determination that a dog was vicious.

Skoric, who also attended the meeting, said if a dog attacks a person, there is legal recourse, but “if a dog attacks another dog, I can’t do anything.”

“It’s the state of the law today,” Skoric added.

“Commissioners could carefully draft a resolution,” but should be wary of becoming “over-broad” in their definitions, he aid.

“But you shouldn’t have to wait for a dog to attack a person,” Skoric added.

Jennifer Tarr, contacted after the meeting, said for her it’s all a moot point because they are moving to Colorado, where her husband has been since January establishing a new home.

Tarr said her dogs “did not kill” Spears’ pet, which she said was attacked on Tarr’s own property.

She said the old collie mix dog frequently came into her yard and barn because the animal was “senile” and
“incontinent” and so was not kept indoors.

“The sheriff is aware of this,” Tarr added.

She said the dog that died was “old and confused,” and after the fight with her dogs in her barn, she and her husband took the Spears’ animal to Dr. Malcolm Blessing’s office to be checked over.

“There was nothing to be stitched up,” Tarr said, adding that Blessing told them the dog would be “sore for a few days,” but would survive.

“They chose to put her down,” Tarr said.

She added that she owns no pit bulls, but that the dogs involved in the fights are a Catahoula and two American bulldogs.

“I’m glad to be going (to Colorado),” Tarr added. “It’s been hellish” living on Sage Creek.

(Carole Cloudwalker can be reached at carole@codyenterprise.com.)