Dog killings spur calls for changes

WEST VINCENT — Township officials urged community members worried about the law concerning the recent shooting of two Bernese mountain dogs to contact their state legislators.

About 11:15 a.m. Feb. 12, the two dogs owned by the Bock family of Chester Springs escaped a fenced yard in the first block of St. Anthony Lane. Within minutes, the dogs, ages 1 and 2 years old, made their way to a property owned by Gabriel Pilotti on Pine Drive, where the 72-year-old delivery driver keeps several sheep.

Pilotti responded by killing both dogs with a shotgun. Initially he told police that he had fired in defense of his sheep. He said the dogs had chased his sheep, and under state law a dog may be legally killed if it is pursuing pets or livestock.

West Vincent police re-interviewed Pilotti on Thursday, and he told investigators that the dogs were not actually chasing his sheep when he fired on them with a 20-gauge, singleshot shotgun, and therefore officials in the District Attorney’s Office determined the shooting was unjustified.

Pilotti has since expressed remorse for the dogs’ deaths and said he is “in prayer” for the Bock family.

According to supervisors’ Chairman Kenneth Miller Jr., the township is not directly legally involved because the laws involved were established at the state level.

Miller said fences in the township are built “to keep livestock in, not to keep predators out.”

Phyllis Noonan of North Coventry asked what can be done to change these laws.

“When you read it, it says (that) anyone can kill an animal if they see that they are pursuing, wounding or killing,” said Noonan. “The word pursuing, in dog language, is a dog that breaks loose. They’re pursuing whatever — a balloon, another dog, a cat. This is a horribly sad situation. It’s not our place to judge Pilotti. That’s not our job.”

According to Noonan, the public should amend the law to help prevent such killings.

“Nothing can bring back those beautiful and loving family pets, but their deaths could not stand in vain,” said Kim Niggeman of Chester Springs. “We are asking our lawmakers to please revise the present law to state that if a domesticated animal with a collar enters a property, one does not have the right to shoot first and ask questions later. This community is changing. The current law is outdated and needs to be more specific. We shouldn’t live in fear if our beloved pets get away from us.”

Board Vice Chairwoman Clare Quinn said anyone interested should contact their state representatives.

“Put pressure on your local legislators and state senators,” Quinn said. “The most effective thing you can do is show up in their offices. The best thing you can do is show up in Harrisburg.”

Through his lawyer, Thomas H. Ramsay of West Chester, Pilotti has said his reaction was caused largely by an incident last May, during which he shot and killed two pit bulls after they attacked his neighbor’s livestock.

William Malenke, whose property adjoins Pine Drive, spoke about the incident and its effect on Pilotti.

“Ten months ago, the two pitbulls that were there, they were somebody’s family pet,” said Malenke. “They lived in their house, and they came through (Robert) Boden’s pasture and made three kills. I was home that Sunday morning; I heard those gunshots, and I saw those dogs. These dogs went from one kill, they bled (the animal out), they took another one down, took another down, took an alpaca down, they made multiple kills on Dr. Boden’s property, and then went over to Gabe’s property. They attacked his lambs and his sheep. One of them had over $1,000 veterinary bill to get the sores sewed up. It was really a tough thing for (Pilotti) to go through.”

The pit bulls killed two sheep and an alpaca during that incident, and investigators determined the shooting was legal.

“I know Mr. Pilotti very well,” said Malenke. “Gabe raises his lambs in his house. He bottle-feeds them. They are his babies. He does that every year. And my kids, we go down to the barn and we see those little lambs; they are his prize possessions. He has had dogs in the past, he has no dogs at this time. Do I agree with what happened? Not in the least. It was a tough thing. Do I think Gabe is a bad man and deserves the death threats that have occurred to him? No. He’s had death threats to both himself individually and to all his sheep. I think it’s a tragedy for the whole neighborhood.”

Police Chief Mike Swininger said vigilante responses to Pilotti must stop.

“The defendant, as in all criminal cases, has the right to a fair trial in a court of law,” Swininger said. “Our officers are investigating incidents that occurred over the weekend. If the individuals responsible for these cowardly acts are identified, they will be arrested. We must allow this case to proceed through the criminal justice system and as a community we must focus on beginning the healing process.”