Vicious Dog Debate in Coram
HungryHorseNews.com
By Richard Hanners
May 25, 2004, CORAM, MT--Residents in the Gladys Glen area of Coram are
angry at the way Flathead County Animal Control dealt with several "vicious"
dogs that allegedly threatened the neighborhood for about two years and
recently attacked two young boys--biting one--but Animal Control's response
is that they can't do much unless residents are willing to file complaints.
"My four-year-old daughter won't even learn to ride her bike because she's
afraid to go out of our yard because she's seen or heard of other kids
getting attacked and chased by dogs around here," said Tanya Willardson,
whose 12-year-old son, Kyle, was attacked April 6.
"Kyle was on his bike when two large female dogs attacked him, biting at his
ankles," Willardson said. "When he reached down to swat them away, they
grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down."
Dolly Fleck, who lives next door to Lou Evans, the dogs' owner, said her
10-year-old son Tyler Barker witnessed the attack.
"The owner called the dogs from across the street and put them back on their
chain," Fleck said. "She never even asked if Kyle was OK--how is that being
a responsible dog owner?"
Eight-year-old Ryder Herman, whose father lives across the street from the
dogs' owner, also witnessed the April 6 attack and was himself attacked less
than a week later, this time by a third dog, a male. He ran from the dog
when it attacked but was knocked down and bit on the lower back and
shoulder.
Ryder's mom, Lisa Sterzl, said her son was recovering from the puncture
wounds in his back."This was the second time he's been attacked by dogs,"
Sterzl said. "I don't think people in residential areas like that should be
allowed to own animals with violent tendencies."
Evans denied her dogs ever attacked local children, claiming they were
chained up at all times. She said she took the two females and their 21
month-old puppies to the pound last week because she could no longer afford
to feed them.
"My home goes up for auction May 11," she said, saying the bank foreclosed
on her mortgage.
Evans said two of the puppies are already spoken for at the pound. She has
one dog left - Butch, a 13-year-old pit bull-terrier-boxer mix who loves to
chase rocks but won't fetch sticks.
"I asked the Animal Control officer to take the puppies when he came around,
but he wouldn't," Evans said. According to Richard Stockdale, director of
the county's animal control department, no citations were issued or dogs
seized when an officer investigated the first incident.
"The problem I have is that to issue a citation we must see the dogs in
violation or get statements from people willing to go to court and testify,"
he said. "When the officer arrived, the dogs were chained up and the father
of the victim said he didn't want to go to court."
None of the dogs were licensed, which can not be issued unless the dogs have
been given rabies shots, and the dogs' owner never denied her two female
dogs attacked Kyle Willardson, Stockdale said, but that's not enough to
issue a citation or seize the dogs.
"Even if she admitted it, we can't seize the dogs - would she be willing to
go to court to testify against herself?" Stockdale asked.
