update..Vicious Rottweiler banned from Weathersfield after attack on jogger

[denverday]

This is and update on that unlicensed dog attack....nothing like handing the problem over to someone else.


Southern Vermont


Vicious Rottweiler banned from Weathersfield after attack on jogger

July 22, 2006
By Susan Smallheer Herald Staff
ASCUTNEY — Bear the Rottweiler was banned in Weathersfield Friday.

The 3-year-old dog escaped an outright death sentence from the Weathersfield Select Board, as the board gave the vicious dog's owner only two options: turn the dog over to a Rottweiler rescue organization by Aug. 2 or have it destroyed humanely.

The board voted unanimously that the dog was legally vicious, after it attacked a high school gym teacher, unprovoked, as he jogged by the home of Douglas Metcalf on Little Ascutney Road.

The teacher, Timothy Kehoe, had to be treated at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for injuries he received to his left arm. According to a statement read by Henry Cobb, chairman of the Weathersfield Select Board, Kehoe still has no feeling in two fingers in his left hand because of nerve damage.

According to testimony presented during the board's hearing Thursday evening on the dog attack, the dog bit Kehoe's left arm straight to the bone.

A doctor who treated Kehoe in the emergency room at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, N.H., said that a child would have died from a similar attack, according to the board's ruling.

And Kehoe, who regularly jogged past the Metcalf home before the July 8 attack, has testified he felt exhausted by the attack and he wasn't sure he would have been able to continue to fend off the dog. Kehoe did not attend Friday's final session.

The 94-pound dog was hitched with a cable prior to the attack, but when he lunged at Kehoe the cable snapped, according to testimony from the hearing.

Kehoe, who didn't attend Friday's meeting, said later by telephone that he felt the decision was the correct one.

"Obviously, I feel bad for the dog, but if it goes to a rescue organization, maybe it can be saved. The board had to think about the safety of the people of this town," Kehoe said.

"The dog just snapped its chain and attacked, it was trying to protect its territory," he said.

Kehoe said that because of complications from the dog bite, his arm had to have emergency surgery, with his left arm opened from the wrist to the elbow to relieve swelling. The wound still hasn't healed, he said, and he will eventually have to have skin grafts.

He said he has no feeling in his ring and pinky finger, and he said the feeling may return in a couple of years after the nerves heal.

Owner Douglas Metcalf was present at Friday's late afternoon meeting, but after Cobb read the lengthy legal statement prepared by the town's attorney, he shook the hands of each Select Board member and left the town office, refusing to say what he would do with Bear.

Kehoe had jogged over to the other side of the dirt road. The dog first bit his right hand and started for Kehoe's head. When Kehoe put up his left arm to protect himself, the dog bit his arm, holding on for eight to 10 seconds before letting go.

An employee of Metcalf's, Michael Giroux, was at Metcalf's home at the time of the attack and tried to stop the dog unsuccessfully. Giroux was also at Friday's meeting, and like Metcalf shook each board member's hand before leaving.

The board's order gave Metcalf seven days to appeal its decision, and also set Aug. 2 as the deadline for him surrendering the dog to town officials for either euthanasia or transfer to the North East Rottweiler Rescue & Referral Inc. of Portsmouth, R.I.

The dog was not licensed nor was its rabies vaccination up to date, the board stated. The dog was immediately quarantined at an animal hospital and was found clear of rabies. He is now back at Metcalf's home.

Cobb told Metcalf that because the dog has been banned for life from Weathersfield, for the next couple of weeks the dog must be kept inside at all times, and must be under control at all times.

In addition to Kehoe's statements, other neighbors testified that they were afraid of the hitched dog, which would lunge and bark at them.

According to the board's statement, Metcalf had already taken some remedial measures to prevent a future recurrence by installing a three-foot deep hitch and securing the hitch with concrete. He was going to use a logging chain to hitch the dog.

But the board said even those measures were inadequate.

"There is no guarantee that the measures taken by Mr. Metcalf, or any such similar measures, will prevent a future, unwarranted and unprovoked attack upon other persons within the Town of Weathersfield," Cobb said.

Rutland Herald: Rutland Vermont News & Information

[denverday]

I doubt the rescue will take this dog either...however I know that there are people on this board who are involve with this specific rescue...I hope they chime in.

[LavenderRott]

According to the board's statement, Metcalf had already taken some remedial measures to prevent a future recurrence by installing a three-foot deep hitch and securing the hitch with concrete. He was going to use a logging chain to hitch the dog.

Is there really much one can say about a statement like this?

I didn't read a thing in that article about the dog "owner" having to pay any type of fine or anything. Somebody please tell me he at least got some kind of ticket for abusing this dog.

[trackermom]

From Nerr's Website How to Place your Rottweiler - North East Rottweiler Rescue & Referral


Has your Rottweiler ever bitten a person or killed an animal?
If your Rottweiler has bitten a person or killed another animal, it is ineligible for placement in our program. Also, in every state that we cover, you can be held legally responsible for any further damage this dog does once it leaves your care.
No reputable Rottweiler rescue will work on aggression issues because of the liability associated with placing such a dog. Rottweilers are powerful dogs and they are capable of inflicting terrible injury and even killing other animals or people. No one wants to be responsible for the injury of death of another living being. Beware of rescue groups claiming to have a sanctuary, Rottweilers do not kennel well and are extremely unhappy in such situations. Beware of rescue groups claiming to be able to rehabilitate Rottweilers, more often then not their intentions are insidious.

NERR&R values all Rottweilers but is committed, above all, to preserving the reputation of the Rottweiler breed. NERR&R will not knowingly place any Rottweiler that may be a danger to the public or which may perpetuate the media stereotype of Rottweilers. Further, animal aggressive dogs are dangerous. People are often hurt trying to protect their pets from such dogs. It would be unfair to the public to subject their safety and that of their pets' to the chance that your Rottweiler may escape his handler and injure some one. Further, it would be unfair to the rest of the Rottweiler owning public to have your Rottweiler's behavior perpetuate media stereotype of Rottweilers. All Rottweiler owners know how difficult it is to rent or get homeowner's insurance with a nice, well-trained Rottweiler never mind a loose cannon. NERR&R has made the difficult decision to be responsible for putting public safety and breed reputation before the life of a single dog. The right choice is not always the easy choice.

[Dugganmom]

This situation makes me so mad!!!! He had his dog tied out on a logging chain!!??!! I will never understand how people can be so F#@*#n Stupid!!!!!!!!!!

[cuppacoffee]

Everyone see this coming, right? The guy already took the trouble of digging a hole to secure his chain in.... So he gets rid of this dog and buys ANOTHER dog. Can't they add in this sentence that this guy should NEVER be allowed to own another dog??

[denverday]

Here is another article from the victims point of view, and it's from another paper It was before the decision was made.

Attack Victim Urges Town to Ban or Kill Dog

By Carolyn Lorié

Valley News Staff Writer

Weathersfield -- At a hearing last night, the selectboard said it would soon make public its decision on the fate of the Rottweiler that attacked a jogger on July 8. The board later went into closed-door deliberations.
Among the 25 people at the hearing were the victim, Tim Kehoe, and the dog's owner, Doug Metcalf.
“I have to say I don't want this dog back in the community,” Kehoe told the selectboard. “If it has to be euthanized, that's fine with me,” he said.
After the meeting, Kehoe told a reporter he would be satisfied if the dog were simply removed from town.
Metcalf said the dog, whose name is Bear and is about 3 years old, is usually good-natured. “His breed gets a bad rap, but he's a good dog,” he said.
A friend and employee of Metcalf, Michael Gerow of North Springfield, Vt., spoke on the dog's behalf, saying the attack -- which he witnessed -- was an aberration.
Barry Newton, the town constable, also testified that he did not think that the dog was vicious.
But several residents expressed concern and told the board they did not feel safe knowing that the dog was in the area. “I just think that a dog that has done this will do it again,” said Ginger Wimberg, who lives on Route 131.
Kehoe, his left arm in a sling last night, is a gym teacher and basketball coach at Lebanon High School. He was bitten on the right hand and left forearm while jogging past Metcalf's residence on Little Ascutney Road. The dog, a 94-pound male, broke its tether as Kehoe jogged past the house.
Kehoe spent three days in the hospital and had surgery to relieve pressure caused by the injury. He said last night he would be receiving skin grafts.
“Our life has stopped,” Kehoe told the selectboard, speaking of his himself and his family. “I am continually in pain.”
Because the dog was not up to date on its rabies vaccinations, it was taken into custody the night of the attack and quarantined for 10 days at a local veterinary clinic. It was returned Metcalf on Wednesday.
State law gives the board the authority to take a wide range of actions, including ordering the dog muzzled, requiring Metcalf to put up a fence or having the dog destroyed.
Audrey Harriman, Metcalf's neighbor, aided Kehoe immediately after the attack. She told the board that earlier this year one of her grandchildren had been bitten on the leg by a dog in Metcalf's care. She said the dog was loose at the time, and though her grandson was not injured, he was shaken by the incident.
Harriman also said that Bear lunges at her whenever she walks to her mailbox, and that after seeing what it did to Kehoe, she does not feel that she would be able to handle the dog if it attacked her or one of her grandchildren.
She urged the board to ban the dog from the Metcalf property. “I am not willing to take the risk, and I hope the board is not willing to take the risk with the town of Weathersfield,” she said.
Henry Cobb, the selectboard chairman, said he wanted the board to make the decision last night, but said he was not sure when it would be made public. He said the decision would be made quickly.
Metcalf said that since the attack he has moved the dog's tether to the back yard, purchased heavy-duty chains and created a three-foot-deep concrete anchor for the chain.
Brendan Donahue, the town's legal counsel, said in an interview it would be difficult to prove the town's liability, even if the board allowed the dog to remain in Weathersfield and it subsequently attacked someone else.

Valley News Web Story Layout

[Rubyhead]

I'm heart sick by this. I have friends who are friends of the man who was attacked and my freinds tell me the man who owns the dog does not have any insurance. So the cost of the surgerys etc fall on the poor man who was attacked. Someone wondered why the owner of the dog wasn't fined for animal abuse. Clearly it's not against the law therefore not considered abuse to chain up a dog. As I've been reading all over these forums there seems to be a consensus about the harm done to dogs (probable not just rotties) who are chained instead of kenneled. It might be a good project for members of RDN in conjunction with dog rescue groups and humane societies (vets too) to begin a
campaign to outlaw the chaining of dogs. Maybe on community level or state level, I don't know where it would be most effective. It certainly does seem to be a public health issue as well as an animal cruelty issue.

[denverday]

This is another update on what has been decided...of course doesn't contain the whole story as to why the dog was not removed from the kennel to be exaluated. It was not removed, because he would not stop lunging and showing aggression..therefore was not safe to remove.
I'm gald to see that they plan on putting this poor dog out of his misery.

Dog to be euthanized
Rottweiler attacked jogger July 8; home for Bear not found

Julia Lloyd Wright
Contributing Writer

WEATHERSFIELD - The Weathersfield Select Board voted four to one Thursday night, with Chairman Henry (Chip) Cob dissenting, to have the Rottweiler mix that attacked a jogger in July euthanized.

Douglas Metcalf's dog Bear, attacked Timothy Kehoe when he was jogging past the residence on July 8 on Little Ascutney Road. Kehoe suffered injuries to his arm requiring surgery and skin grafts.

The board, declaring the dog "vicious," handed down a decision on Aug. 3 that "the dog be disposed of on Aug. 24, 2006, unless its owner presents a suitable placement or similar organization acceptable to the selectboard."

Metcalf came up with a friend in Charlestown to take the dog, but because it was a private individual and the dog would again be kept on a cable, the board turned it down.

Thursday evening, as the clock had run out, Metcalf's attorney, Elaine Hongisto of Chester, told the board that a rescue society had been located, the dog had been evaluated and they had found a new owner with two Rottweilers of his own. The dog was to be neutered on Tuesday, Hongisto said, before being handed over to Robert Smith of Charlestown, where it would be kept in a fenced-in yard and allowed into the house.

Springfield Humane Society has had the dog in custody, where two representatives of rescue societies came to see it. Both returned negative reports and advised the dog be euthanized.

Sue Skaskiw from the Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals in Bridgewater also sent evaluator Tori Englett, an animal behavorist from the Central Vermont Humane Society to review the dog. When reached by phone Thursday evening, Skaskiw said she was "disappointed."

"I wasted all this time on behalf of the dog," she said and "found a place where it would not be on a cable."

Skaskiw said she had reached an agreement with the town and assured officials it was a suitable home for the dog. Skaskiw called the decision "unfair."

"People have top take responsibility for their dogs," she said, "and that breed and the condition they live in. It takes a lot of time and energy and emotional investment."

Constable Barry Newton told the board he was present when Bear was being evaluated and there was no problem. The people who turned in the negative reports would not even handle the dog or take it out of its pen, he said.

Cobb said the evaluators who turned in the two negative reports both had "stellar" credentials and long experience with the breed and both "recommended the dog be euthanized."

Cobb told Newton and Hongisto there was "no paperwork" to back up the position evaluation by Skaskiw. Skaskiw said she was never asked to submit a report.

Hongisto asked for more time, but Cobb said, "You had more than enough time, and now you are asking us to extend. It was the owner's responsibility to have this done and we gave you the opportunity to find a home."

Board member Dan Boyer read from the reports that the dog "lunged" when the evaluators were there, and they didn't want to take a chance.

Cobb told Hongisto "we have been trying to do the right thing by this dog and it's upsetting that we have been working harder than the owner to save this dog."

Dog to be euthanized

[Rubyhead]

Denverday,
thanks so much for posting this and keeping us updated.
this whole situation is a total loose/loose one.
the jogger looses for obvious reasons and the dog, because it was chained & never had chance, dies.

[BostonRott]

This Sue Skaskiw chick needs to go rescue inch-worms, and get the hell out of my breed. It's bleeding-heart idiots like her that are helping the puppy mills to RUIN this breed.

Rescue is NOT about saving every dog, it is about evaluating which dogs have solid and salvagable temperament. If you can't kill dogs, get the h=ll out of rescue.

I'm so fed up with idiots......

[observer]

Their website is interesting.... I didn't get the details, but they have a bunch of dogs rescued from W Va. On their adoption page, link below, one of the dogs they have up for adoption is a PB or PB mix that is labeled right by the picture, "PREFERS WOMEN. WARNING THIS ONE MAY BITE".

Good grief.....

Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society

[jakesfostermom]

Originally Posted by observer

Their website is interesting.... I didn't get the details, but they have a bunch of dogs rescued from W Va. On their adoption page, link below, one of the dogs they have up for adoption is a PB or PB mix that is labeled right by the picture, "PREFERS WOMEN. WARNING THIS ONE MAY BITE".

Good grief.....

Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society

Did you notice on their website that all the dogs are on CHAINS? I don't mean to hijack this thread.......but they look like trouble based on what they are sharing with the public.....makes you wonder what they aren't sharing.

[BostonRott]

I would like to share a gun with them, starting with the business end. O wait, I should stop being vague.

[SaranBear]

Originally Posted by Rubyhead

to begin a campaign to outlaw the chaining of dogs. Maybe on community level or state level, I don't know where it would be most effective. It certainly does seem to be a public health issue as well as an animal cruelty issue.

I think that's what "dogs deserve Better" does..I don't know much about them, except that they are very against dogs being chained.

And I heard they had a publicity stunt where they had volunteers who chained themselves to the dog houses to protest dogs being chained. I think it's called a "chain off"