Woman’s pet attacked, killed by vicious dog
THE VILLAGE — An evening walk for Leslie Spears and her pet dog turned into a violent attack that left her beloved Papillon dead.
It wasn’t the first time Spears has lost a pet to a vicious dog. It was her third pet to lose in The Village in 10 years.
Spears, director of public relations and marketing for Myriad Botanical Gardens, has lived in The Village for 18 years.
On the evening of Aug. 29, Spears took her dog, Albert, on a walk before dusk. A neighbor dog attacked and fatally injured Albert. Spears was devastated at the loss.
The Village Councilwoman Cathy Cummings heard about the attack and invited Spears to speak at the next council meeting. Other residents spoke about fears of more attacks from dogs, Cummings said.
“People are nervous about walking their dogs,” Cummings said.
Too often, people don’t want to prosecute neighbors over incidents involving pets, and they don’t show up in court, Cummings said. But the laws in The Village should be adequate if enforced, she said. She encourages people who think a dog could be vicious to report it to city officials. She also encourages anyone who reports an unconfined vicious dog to follow through with court proceedings so cases can be fully prosecuted.
In a statement Spears prepared and presented at the city council meeting about her dog’s death, she explained what happened when the vicious dog charged and attacked.
“I tried with all my might to pick Albert up off the street and away from that dog while screaming for help loudly,” Spears said. “The dog kept pulling us back down and going for Albert’s stomach. Thank God for my screams and the neighbors that came out.”
She recognized the dog, named Blue, as a neighbor dog that got loose through a fence that had been patched with hog and chicken wire. In a police report, the dog is described as an American bulldog-boxer mix.
“We were familiar with Blue and always worried about her behavior,” she said. “She was an angry, intense barker, lonely dog that had an impressive jaw. Like it had no chin — just jaw. We have always been concerned, but never thought to call it in to The Village animal control officer. The thought of that jaw on my Albert’s stomach was especially upsetting.”
Spears and her boyfriend drove Albert to an emergency care clinic, where they paid $3,500 on a credit card for surgery. But Albert didn’t make it.
Spears reported the attack to police, and an
officer contacted the city animal control officer.
“I received a call while I was at work that he had passed,” she said. “The news was devastating. I was crying so loud my co-workers opened my closed door and picked me up off the floor.”
Ten years ago, her cat Lalah was napping on her porch when the cat was attacked and killed by dogs that had gotten out of a nearby fenced yard.
Four years ago, Spears was walking a Pomeranian named Josey that was attacked by a dog. Josey suffered a bite on the back between her shoulders. Josey survived the surgery but died later.
Spears said the owner of the dog who killed Albert was remorseful after the attack. The dog owner rents the house nearby.
“I love my Village home. I have no plans to move. My home on Manchester Drive was my first home to buy. I love my neighbors. I want this to be proactive and teaching,” Spears wrote.
Spears said when she gave her presentation about the recent attack at The Village City Council meeting about 75 people showed up.
She said The Village has laws requiring people to confine dogs, but residents must call or report any suspicious dogs or dogs that are aggressive.
People are sometime afraid to report loose dogs for fear of retaliation, she said.
Bruce Stone, city manager, said one other pet has been attacked by a dog in The Village this year. No people have
been attacked.
He said The Village has strict laws against failure to confine a dog. He said the Spears’ dog attack was unfortunate.
“That was a tragic situation,” Stone said. “Any time you have a dog
attack it is bad, it does happen but it does not happen every week or month in The Village.”
Stone said a municipal complaint of harboring a vicious dog against the dog owner has been filed in Spears’ case and a
city judge can determine whether the dog may be euthanized.
He said people in The Village can also report any concerns about aggressive or vicious dogs to animal control at 405-751-9518.