Rochester awaits verdict after Lab bites neighbor (Councilman/owner led drive to ban pit bulls)

Sioux City Journal ^ | July 01, 2009 | Lynn Zerschling

[ellery]

Councilman led drive to ban pit bulls

SIOUX CITY -- The city councilman who led the drive to ban pit bulls in Sioux City is waiting to find out whether his Labrador retriever will be euthanized for biting a neighbor.

Councilman Aaron Rochester said Tuesday he has appealed Sioux City Animal Control's determination that his family's yellow lab is vicious after Saturday's incident, which resulted in an emergency room visit and five stitches for the injured neighbor.

Sioux City Police Capt. Pete Groetken said he held a hearing on Rochester's appeal Tuesday morning and will reach a decision by the end of the week. He can either uphold Animal Control's designation or overturn it.

The 3-year-old dog, Jake, is being held at the Animal Control shelter until the case is resolved.

At 4:45 p.m. Saturday, a man and woman who live in the neighborhood walked by the Rochesters' home in the 1300 block of 46th St. The lab was sitting on the front porch. As the couple walked by on the sidewalk, the dog ran off the porch and jumped the man, Groetken said.

The neighbor suffered a scratch to his right leg as he tried to push the dog away, some marks on his chest and bites to his thumb that required five stitches at a hospital emergency room. Groetken declined to identify the man because the case remains under investigation.

Rochester said his neighbor did not wish to be identified, and other neighbors contacted by the Journal said they did not know who he was.

Rochester said he and his wife, Amy, held a birthday party for their youngest child, Kate, on Saturday. Amy had gone inside their house while Kate and a friend played outside. Rochester said he had left the party to drive his eldest son to work.

"(Amy) heard something and yelled at Jake to come in the house, and he ran in the front door," Rochester said. "The people know our dog, and the wife said Jake would bring her a tennis ball and she would throw it. He is a great watchdog. My speculation is, he was watching our children and may have thought they were in danger."

An Animal Control officer impounded Jake on Saturday after the dog bite was reported. Rochester said someone at the hospital called police to report the bite, which he said is standard practice.

Last year, Rochester led the council's controversial effort to ban future ownership of pit bulls in Sioux City. Rochester supported his position with Animal Control reports showing that type of dog is the most apt to bite people.

Pit bull owner Amanda Gardner, who helped lead opposition to the ordinance, said Tuesday night: "I don't wish any dog to be put down. But how many little kids have cried because their pit bulls have been banned from the city or euthanized? In Aaron's words, a bite's a bite."

Dog owner Terry Mann, who also opposed the pit bull ban, said, "Labs are one of the best breeds there are; the most friendly. ... I don't think the dog should be put down at all."

Rochester emphasized that he has not gotten special treatment because of his position as an elected official.

"It happened Saturday afternoon, and Animal Control had my dog by Saturday night," he said. "I did not get special treatment."

Vicious-dog proceedings

Police Capt. Pete Groetken has two choices when he hears cases of animals declared vicious by Sioux City Animal Control: He can uphold or overturn the ruling.

If he upholds the decision, the pet owner may appeal his ruling to a special master appointed by the city manager and eventually could appeal the master's decision to court.

If in the end the dog is found to be vicious, the animal must be euthanized.

"I have yet to have an owner say go ahead and euthanize my dog," Groetken said. "There is language in the city code that says if the owner refuses to do it, the city can do it."

Last year, the City Council redefined vicious animals. To be declared vicious, an animal must bite or harm a person or another animal. The injury would have to cause "bleeding or noticeable and documented injury to the person" or significant injury to another animal or fowl that requires medical attention. A trained guard dog or K-9 is not subject to that provision.

Pet owners used to have the option of placing their pets in homes outside the city limits, with the approval of Animal Control. Last year, the council ruled that owners no longer can do that. The council noted other cities and counties are banning vicious dogs from being placed in their jurisdictions.

[SampleMan]

Only five stitches? I guess that’s why they don’t raise Labs to fight in the pit.

[Badeye]

‘Pit bull owner Amanda Gardner, who helped lead opposition to the ordinance, said Tuesday night: “I don’t wish any dog to be put down. But how many little kids have cried because their pit bulls have been banned from the city or euthanized? In Aaron’s words, a bite’s a bite.” ‘

Love the irony here, hate the notion this dog Jake is going to pay the price for Aaron’s ignorance.

[ellery]

Big surprise — councilman who wants to blame an entire breed, instead of blaming a few bad owners, turns out to be a bad owner himself.

Doggie ping.

[ellery]

Yes, I do too. :(

[Pravious]

Coming up next...

The Government requires all dogs to have their teeth removed and fed a mushed vegan diet, which will be sold at only a slight markup by GovFoods Inc.

Any dog reported to actually be protecting his (or her) family will be mercifully put to death by PETA, after having their organs harvested for “research” by Government approved labs (not to be confused with Labradors).

[Nachum]

Kind of sad. The dog bit, yes but 5 stitches doesn’t sound like enough damage to demand the dog be put down. 3 year old labs (and younger) can nip and cause hurt, but this doesn’t sound like crazed dog to me.

[NRA2BFree]

My vet told me that the number one biting dog is the Labrador Retriever. At that time, I was considering getting a lab, but after what she told me, I didn’t get one.

[GunRunner]

But how many little kids have cried because their pit bulls have been banned from the city or euthanized?

First of all, who cares?

Secondly, anyone wishing to compare a "bite" from a lab and a bite from a pitbull has shown themselves to be a complete ignoramus.

[Niteranger68]

Euthanize the councilman and solve several problems at once.

[GunRunner]

How many times does a lab bite lead to the mauling of a person or child?

Labs can be territorial and bite because they're bred to use their mouths for "retrieving". But I don't remember the last time a lab mauled anyone to death.

Pitbull apologists should stop making fools of themselves by trying to make parity between the two breeds.

[LeonardFMason]

Barbara Striesand! If you are talking TOTAL dog bites maybe. Since Labs are far and away the most numerous of any dog breed it might be possible. My experience with 20-25 Labs leads me to believe your more likely to drown from the licking they give than be bitten by one.

[Brookhaven]

5 stiches? Wow!

Substitute a pit-bull for the lab in this exact same scenario and what kind of injuries would we be talking about? Ambulances, emergency room, and facial reconstructive surgery would have been part of the story.

[Cyclone59]

My vet told me that the number one biting dog is the Labrador Retriever. At that time, I was considering getting a lab, but after what she told me, I didn’t get one.

Statisticly probable only becuase Labs are the number one owned dog in America. Bad advice from a vet, the main reason NOT to get a lab would be your lack of desire to wear the crap out of the dog on a daily basis. Labs are known for their soft mouth that we call “lab mouth”. Yes, they have the proportionally biggest teeth in the dog family, but are known for never using them to bite. One of my daughters(12) was stockpiling water balloons and was shocked when one of our labs ran by her and snagged the water balloon from her hand without breaking it or biting her hand.

[bgill]

First, he should have been in a fenced yard.

Second, the story doesn’t make sense. If the neighbor knew the dog and played with the dog, why did the dog think they might harm the kids? We only have the neigbor’s side of the story and no witnesses as to what really happened.

Third, if the neighbor really did enjoy playing with the dog and knew the dog wasn’t dangerous, why did he turn him in especially over something as insignificant as 5 stitches. I’m thinking the neighbor had a beef with the idiot councilman and Jake is paying for it.

Fourth, if Jake were mine he would have mysteriously run off before the dog catcher came.

[Darnright]

>He is a great watchdog. My speculation is, he was watching our children and may have thought they were in danger.”<

In other words, he’s barked aggressively at people in the past, and the politician knew it (Democrat, perhaps?). Part of owning a big dog is restraining him, so he doesn’t decide to take matters into his own jaws.

What was a dog, described by its owner as “being a great watchdog”, doing loose in the first place?

[maid of orleans]

I think your vet made a mistake. We have a yellow lab and she is the best dog we have ever had. I researched all the breeds since we have kids and I never saw any literature that said that labs were the number one biter. They never even make the top 10 list of top biters. Perhaps she is confused and misread “number one dog” with “number one biter.” If anyone can find any literature that says differently I would really like to see it. Our vet recommended a lab when we asked him! So did my uncle-in-law (also a vet).

[Brookhaven]

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chow
8. Presa Canario
9. Boxer
10. Dalmation

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

DEADLIEST DOGS (fatal attacks)

According to the Clifton study, PIT BULLS, ROTTWEILERS, and PRESA CANARIOS and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed...If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed...

[maid of orleans]

Thank you for the info! I rest my case!

[kanawa]

You guys would quote Satan if it helped promote your hate and fear mongering.

Clifton Merrit...

http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/heifer-merritt-13apr03.html

http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/merrit-cliftons-methodology.html

http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/2009/03/merritt-clifton-list-updated-still-with.html

...and many more references to this animal rights kook available
...if you cared to check your sources.

Used as ‘expert researcher’ by noted ambulance chaser Kenneth M. Phillips,
whose claim to fame and expertise is based upon ‘having been on TV’.