A concerned father whose son was recently bit by a pit bull, is now asking Clarkston City Council members to adopt a vicious dog ordinance.
Charles Inabnit appeared before councilpersons at their Monday, Oct. 27 meeting. His 10-year-old son was playing in the front yard of a neighbor’s Pinehurst home on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6:10 p.m., when the dog, being walked by its owners, ran and bit the boy on the leg. The boy’s injury was minor.
This is the third documented bite from the dog, but, according to Police Chief Ernest Combs, the dog has been a problem up to 12 other times, biting other individuals or scaring and chasing others.
“Obviously this resident does not have any regard for the safety of any resident in this city,” Inabnit said, who feels the city’s current dog ordinance is “quite antiquated.”
He hopes the council approves an ordinance, like that of Independence Township, which states a dog should be destroyed within 48 hours of a biting incident unless the person bitten is a trespasser.
“It would have been quite handy to view a dog ordinance like the township’s,” Inabnit said.
Combs said the city’s dog ordinance is used more in regards to excessive barking or dogs running loose. Concerning dog bites, the city police rely on the Oakland County Animal Control, which follows state laws for prosecution.
“We don’t really need to adopt (a vicious dog ordinance) because we have the state law,” Combs said, which he finds sufficient.
In this instance, after the dog bit a second time, a seizure order was placed on it by Judge Michael Batchik of the 52-2 District Court in Clarkston if ever the dog was to bite again.
When it did this third time, Combs said, the owner quickly took the dog to a residence in White Lake for hiding. A Clarkston officer found the dog and Animal Control took it into its custody, where it remains. A court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30, when the future of the dog will be decided.
“If we had had these other bites documented, if the other people would have come forward, this bite would not have happened because the dog would have been long gone,” Combs said.
“We’re sorry it had to get to this point,” Councilmen Scott Meyland said to Inabnit. “We will certainly review (the ordinance and request). I don’t believe there would be any reason why we wouldn’t adopt that.”
•Also at the meeting, the City Council approved the contract for Chief of Police Ernest Combs for an annual salary of $41,200.
City attorney Thomas Ryan said, minus a change from three to five holidays off, this is the same contract as was approved from former Police Chief Paul Ormiston.
“I think this is a good contract both for the Chief and for the city,” Councilman Scott Meyland said.
•Department of Public Works Supervisor Bob Pursley noted the curbing and overlay at the Washington and Main parking lot should be completed by the end of the week, and opened up for use again to the public.