Dear Neighbors and City Officials,

I wanted to let you know that Animal Control Supervisor Tracey Alford visited my home today to take a look at the fence situation separating my family and my community from the dangerous dog that lives at 1200 Downing Road. He witnessed for himself that the dog is still not securely enclosed but said that there is nothing his department can do to compel the owner to take action. The investigation into whether the dog will be officially deemed dangerous continues; however, Supervisor Alford said that if it is in fact deemed dangerous, Animal Control would still not be able to order the dog to be securely contained, though it would be required to be muzzled when outside. I have copied Supervisor Alford on this email, which includes my original note to the listserv below.

Thanks to everyone for their concern around this issue of dangerous dogs in our neighborhoods.

Sincerely,
Sue Sturgis
2119 Millbank St.

On Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 9:05 PM, Sue Sturgis <suesturgis@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Neighbors,

I am sorry to report that there was another dog attack incident in the Lockwood neighborhood this week.

My husband was mowing our yard at 2119 Millbank Street on Tuesday while I was out of town when a pit bull from our neighbor's backyard dog-breeding operation broke through the wooden privacy fence that serves as his enclosure and launched himself in attack mode over our four-foot chain link fence at Mike, who managed to escape by jumping the gate into the driveway. Our bulldog Chance came tearing out of the house straight toward the pit bull, whose name is Deebo, grabbed him by the chest, and pinned him to the ground. The melee that ensued involved Mike beating Deebo over the skull with a rake handle in hopes of scaring him off, all while screaming for help and dialing 911. It also involved enough blood to make Mike queasy.

When Raleigh Police and Animal Control arrived, the dog's owner ranted about what terrible people we are. "Why do you always take their side?" she shouted at them, referring to the half-dozen or so times we've had to call the authorities because her dogs escaped from their yard or tried to break through our back fence or barked and howled outside all night while in heat, leading to various warnings and citations. Community Police Officer James Kryskowiak is helping compile the complete record.

Mike is now out of town on business, so I spoke with Animal Control Supervisor Alford today. He reported that my neighbor was cited for allowing her dog off the property, and said the investigation into whether my neighbor's dog should be designated as dangerous continues. As I told Supervisor Alford, given that the dog attempted to attack my husband on our property and menaced us previously when it's gotten loose, it is clearly dangerous and needs to be secured appropriately before someone gets seriously hurt. Not everyone is capable of leaping over a gate in a single bound.

At this point, though, Animal Control says they cannot compel the owner to build a more secure enclosure. My neighbor did have workers there this week shorting up her wooden privacy fence, but the dog has broken out of this type of fencing before. It has even ripped through our chain link in places along our property line, requiring multiple patches.

The good news is that while our dog did require veterinary care for puncture wounds and cuts on his face, he will be OK. The neighbor did not offer to pay for the damage she caused, however, so we will be exploring our legal options. If anyone has any recommendations for a good animal-law attorney in Raleigh, please pass them along.

In the meantime, please be careful if you are in the area of Millbank Street and Downing Road. Until this dog is secured with something more than wooden pickets, we remain at risk.

For anyone who missed our previous discussions about dangerous and loose dogs in the East CAC area, you can find some background information here:

http://seeclickfix.com/issues/140071-rampant-ongoing-problems-with-stray-and-loose-dogs

Sincerely,
Sue Sturgis