Another Dog Attack Raises Questions
www.nwitimes.com
April 18, 2006, LAKE STATION, INDIANA -- A 5-year-old Lake Station girl was attacked by a pit bull mix Friday afternoon while playing with other dogs in a neighbor's yard, Lake Station Police Chief Mike Stills said Monday.
Stills said the girl and a neighbor were playing with one of three dogs chained up in the yard in the 2500 block of 35th Street near Wisconsin Avenue.
The dogs' owner reportedly told the girls to stay away from one of the dogs, described by officers responding to the call as a pit bull-chow mix. The girl's condition is not known.
Stills said the owner of the dog voluntarily agreed to have the animal destroyed to avoid similar incidents. The dog will be quarantined for 10 days as a precaution to determine if it has rabies or some other condition that will require the victim to receive additional treatment.
Lake Station City Councilman Todd Rogers, who learned of the attack shortly after it happened, said he has been in favor of stricter dog ordinances in the city for several months.
He wonders how long it will take his city to adopt a new ordinance against dangerous dogs or enforce the one it already has.
The city has debated the issue at least since November following a series of attacks in other cities and in January after a 5-year-old girl was attacked in the city leaving her with 50 stitches in the side and face.
Portions of a proposed ordinance debated included a list of dangerous dogs banned in the city and requirements for owners to register the dogs with the city, a requirement for liability insurance for dangerous dogs and stiff penalties for owners who let their dogs run loose.
