Neighbor's dog attacked by six wolf-hybrids
Reported by
Kristin
Anderson
POSTED: Friday, December 12, 2003 3:04:20
AM
UPDATED: Friday, December 12, 2003 3:06:38 AM
CHARDON TOWNSHIP -- A pack of six wolf-hybrids attacked a
neighbor's dog Monday night in Chardon Township.
The dog, 13-year-old Buster, had to have surgery to stitch his
chest back together after being attacked while trying to protect
his two little brothers.
"It's terrifying, all these dogs on top of him, biting and
chewing," said Buster's owner, Oscar Smith. "It's just
unimaginable."
Smith says it's not the first time that his neighbors' hybrid
wolves were running free. But it's not illegal in Chardon Township
to own dogs that are up to 99-percent wolf.
"An animal that has one-percent dog in it is classified as a
dog," said Geauga County Dog Warden Matt Granito. "So he would
fall into the dog regulations."
But Granito says they're still part wild and can be
unpredictable and dangerous.
Granito says the owners of the wolf-hybrids are being very
cooperative. He says they're going to make their electric fence
even higher to make sure the animals don't get out again.
But Smith now walks outside with a shotgun when he lets his
dogs out at night. He's hoping to spread the word so his other
neighbors will help him fight to change the ordinance.
"Now that these dogs have a taste of blood, who knows what's
going to happen now," said Smith. "It could be a child, someone
getting the mail. If they're loose they could be attacked by these
dogs at anytime."
Many cities and townships don't have ordinances that stop
people from owning a hybrid wolf because they weren't needed. But
now that hybrids are becoming more popular, the ordinances are
slowing starting to change.
It's still unclear if Buster will make a full recovery.
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=13569