Ortonville- Police are reminding residents to leash their pets following recent attacks in the area by dogs against people and other animals.
‘Always keep your dog on a leash when they are out in public? for your safety, their safety, and the safety of other people and animals,? said Sgt. Pete Burkett of the Brandon substation. ‘It’s very irresponsible of pet owners to let their pets run wild.?
The warning came after an attack at Narrin Park last week. According to police reports, deputies responded to the park near Oakwood and Ortonville roads at about 6:16 p.m., June 27. The complainant said she, her husband and two young daughters were enjoying the park with their family dog when two men arrived in separate cars, each with a pit bull terrier. The dogs were not leashed and several minutes after their arrival, one of the pit bulls ran to the water’s edge where the family’s dog was and bit their dog’s neck. The pit bull’s owner ran over and put his dog on a short leash.The complainant told police she wanted to exchange names and phone numbers with the man, but he refused, saying that he didn’t need to tell her anything. He loaded his dog into his vehicle and attempted to put a rag over the vehicle’s plate so she couldn’t get his license number. The complainant said as she was trying to write the number down on a slip of paper, he walked over, told her they didn’t need the police, and grabbed her wrist and threw the paper to the ground. He then ran to his vehicle and left.
The complainant remembered the plate number, which the deputies tracked to a home on Oakwood. They made contact with the suspect and brought him back to the park, where the woman and her family positively identified him. He admitted being there with his dog, but denied grabbing her wrist. He was given two misdemeanor citations under township ordinances? one for dog at large and the other for assault and battery.
In a separate incident, a woman filed a dog complaint at the Brandon substation on June 9. She said her 14-year-old daughter was walking their dog in the 2000 block of Palisades around 4:10 p.m., June 7, when an unleashed dog attacked and bit her. Both the girl and the dog were injured and received medical attention.
According to the police report, the dog’s owner came out to help the victim and drove her home. The owner of the attacking dog told the girl’s mother that the dog did not have an updated license and current rabies vaccine.
Both cases are being turned over to Oakland County Animal Control, where Sgt. Heidi Hawley, kennel supervisor, said they will check to make sure the dogs are licensed and vaccinated and the owners will be held responsible for any medical bills to victims. If they do not pay voluntarily, victims can file a claim in court.
The only person with authority to take a dog from an owner is a judge. Animal control is not permitted to remove dogs from a home, although all dogs that have bitten or scratched a person are required to be quarantined for 10 days, even if they have been vaccinated. They can be quarantined at their home, or if they aren’t vaccinated, they may be placed under quarantine and observation of a veterinarian.
‘Whether we go to court depends on the severity of cases with humans and there is a provision in the law that allows victims to go to court to try and have the dog removed, depending on the situation,? said Hawley, adding that she is in court ‘quite a bit.?
Hawley said Animal Control frequently sees problems with shepherd mixes and pit bull terriers, but there are problems with all breeds and noted that small dogs are just as likely as large breeds to bite.
‘Make sure your dogs are vaccinated and licensed, keep them on your own property, and when they are off your property, make sure they are on a leash,? she said.