Two separate dog attacks reported to Saline police
Saline police say they're investigating two recent serious dog attacks in which one dog attacked another while owners were walking them in the city.
The most recent incident was reported last Thursday after a woman reported her dog was attacked and bitten by a stranger's dog in Mill Pond Park.
The woman said she was walking her basset hound in the park at 565 Bennett St. at about 6:30 p.m. when it approached another dog walking with a younger couple, according to reports. The other dog, which resembled a pincher, attacked the woman’s dog as soon as the owners let her off her leash. It took several minutes to separate the animals, and the attacking dog’s owners left the park quickly.
The basset hound’s owner told police the dog was injured, but she felt the wounds weren't serious enough to require medical attention. She told officers she didn't wish to press charges, but wanted the owners warned not to unleash their pets in the park.
She didn't get the people’s names, but was able to describe the license plate of the vehicle they were in for officers. A notice was mailed to the vehicle’s owner regarding the city’s animal ordinance, and the case remains open pending contact with those individuals, reports said.
Officers are still trying to identify the owners of a dog that attacked a Saline woman’s dog as they were walking along the sidewalk in the 900 block of Colony Drive on Sept. 29, reports said. The woman said she was taking her daily walk at about 4:45 p.m. when she saw a young girl, roughly 12 years old, walking toward them holding two dogs on leashes. The woman said she yielded the sidewalk to the larger dogs, which were able to pull the girl toward her and her golden retriever.
One of the dogs bit the woman’s dog, causing a wound that would later required sutures. They separated the dogs, and the girl left after giving the woman her cell phone number. The breed of the attacking dog wasn't known, but it was described as weighing roughly 75 pounds.
The woman said her dog was expected to recover, but she wanted the other dog’s owner to reimburse her for more than $400 in veterinarian bills, reports said.
The woman told police she called the girl’s cell phone and spoke with a woman who identified herself as the girl's mother. Upon explaining the situation, the woman said the girl’s mother abruptly hung up on her and has not returned multiple voicemail messages left since then.
Authorities were able to determine the girl’s cell phone service provider and faxed a subpoena to the company requesting the owner’s contact information, reports said. They are still awaiting results of the subpoena request.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 734-429-7911.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
tomb
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
Yes, the facts in the second attack are true - it was my wife and dog that were attacked. The police have completed their investigation, the other dog's owners were cited for having an unlicensed dog without shots but there's no more they can do. We were offered 50% payment, but they told police our Golden charged their dog while he was off the sidewalk and so the attack wasn't their fault. Sadly, this is completely untrue and now we're left deciding if a trip to small claims court is in order. The single most aggravating aspect of this process is that they have made every effort to avoid responsibility, and it took a subpoena to contact them. We never would have found out who it was if they hadn't made a call to us from their daughter's cell phone (and then hung up upon finding our dog had to be taken to the vet to be sedated and stitched up from having the skin torn off the muscle of his foreleg).
BobbyJohn
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 5:32 p.m.
yhere are many responsible dog owners, but, unfortunately, there are WAY too many irresponsible dog owners. Try walking in Bird Hills park without running across loose dogs
Mark A.
Thu, Oct 21, 2010 : 12:50 p.m.
BTW, in Michigan if a licensed dog attacks your pet, you'll be responsible for any damage you do to the attacking dog while stopping the attack. I of course would be totally comfortable paying any damages from pepper spraying a dog or human that was attacking my family dog.
nimbus123
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 1:16 p.m.
Dog owners beware: If I or my children get even a nip from your dog, I will SUE for everything you are worth.
Jonny Spirit
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 : 7:16 a.m.
Hey SALINE people PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!!!! I don't care how wonderful your sweet little doggy is, put the thing on a leash, it's the LAW! I can't tell you how many times I have seen people walking there dogs on Woodland, at Millpond (outside of the fenced in area). Oh and the people who think the nice fenced in baseball diamonds and the awesome football field is a place for your dogs to run around in and crap everywhere, this is not your back yard and it is not a dog run, STAY OUT! If something does not happen soon, there will be more accidents like this and maybe worse.
nicole
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 7:43 p.m.
OK....kids don't have any business walking dogs without adult supervision. I see this all the time! Some little kid trying to walk some huge dog that they can't control. And they're usually coming right at my little daughter and I on the side walk. I try to cross to the other side. Just wait until that dog, that the 12-year-old was walking does something worse, like attack a child. That owner is going to get sued!! I'm so sick of inconsiderate dog owners. I'm with an earlier poster that suggested pepper spray. Also, try bear spray, it's even better, it comes in a much bigger canister and is stronger. Any dog that comes within a foot of my kid better watch out!
nicole
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 7:43 p.m.
OK....kids don't have any business walking dogs without adult supervision. I see this all the time! Some little kid trying to walk some huge dog that they can't control. And they're usually coming right at my little daughter and I on the side walk. I try to cross to the other side. Just wait until that dog, that the 12-year-old was walking does something worse, like attack a child. That owner is going to get sued!! I'm so sick of inconsiderate dog owners. I'm with an earlier poster that suggested pepper spray. Also, try bear spray, it's even better, it comes in a much bigger canister and is stronger. Any dog that comes within a foot of my kid better watch out!
casmom
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 6:59 p.m.
I wish dog owners wouldn't assume that everyone is ok with dogs. I have a very close friend who,as the result of an unfortunate incident in her childhood is terrified of dogs. It seems that many dog owners are very careless when letting their dogs approach people. I often hear them say things like "its ok" or "he's friendly" the problem is that its really not "ok" for some people no matter how "friendly" your dog is. I guess I should say that I love dogs,but am also considerate of those who would rather take a pass.
SillyTree
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 3:49 p.m.
Both of my dogs have been attacked on separate occasions by unleashed dogs while they were leashed. The owners apologized in both instances, but they did not change their habits. Neither of the attacks was mild. In the first one, my dog was overpowered and completely covered by the attacking dog who tore her ear with his teeth. I later saw him out on the grass at the apartments unleashed. If I see your dog unleashed at my apartment complex, I will tell the management. If I see you not clean up after your pet, I will tell the management. Be responsible. It's not all about disagreeing with people. Treetown, Mark, AAJoker, Smiley, jcj, Macabre at Sunset; are all correct in what they say here.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 2:06 p.m.
In some ways, operating your dog without a leash is very similar to operating your car under the influence of alcohol. Your leash is a measure of control. Your sobriety is measure of control. Maybe if the courts treated DWL (dog without leash) the same way they treated DUI, we could save a few lives. In the second incident, the girl didn't have control over the dogs, either, obviously. In that case, it's like an inexperienced driver attempting to control a 53-foot truck. Sobriety isn't enough.
Ricebrnr
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 1:43 p.m.
Well people, here's 2 examples why you might want to consider carrying and training with something (pepper spray at the least) for self protection. Predators don't only come in the 2 legged variety and neither can be reasoned with well especially in the moments prior to or during the attack. 1*
jcj
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 12:15 p.m.
@Tim And so you wont have to re-read the entire article, I will be kind enough to post the specific of which you ignored! "The other dog, which resembled a pincher, attacked the womans dog as soon as the owners let her off her leash." At least it is not a human being bitten!
Smiley
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 12:07 p.m.
"and the attacking dogs owners left the park quickly" I've seen this happen so many times - Burns Park, Almendinger, Mill Pond (Saline)... The lack of personal responsibility truly is sad. I like treetowncartel's post.
A2Medic
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 12:06 p.m.
AA Joker: Please re-read what you posted, "It would be nice if Police would enforce leash laws, but alas they are only treating the symptoms and not the problem" and so you wont have to re-read the entire article, I will be kind enough to post the specific of which you posted, "when she saw a young girl, roughly 12 years old, walking toward them holding two dogs on leashes" Need any further explaination??
AAJoker
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:44 a.m.
I classic case of people not controlling their animals. Everyone always thinks their dog is perfect, thus causing the establishment of numerous "unofficial" dog parks throughout cities. It would be nice if Police would enforce leash laws, but alas they are only treating the symptoms and not the problem.
dading dont delete me bro
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:39 a.m.
this whole investigative process sounds a little hokie to me...
Mark A.
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:29 a.m.
treetowncartel, well said.
treetowncartel
Tue, Oct 19, 2010 : 11:25 a.m.
Wow, if the facts put forth by the lady invovled in the second attack are true, what an awful way to handle teaching moment for your child, who took responsibility for the actions of her dog only to have her mother shirk her's.