Trapped in Home by Neighborhood Dangerous Dogs

Authorities Can't Take Action Until Person is Harmed
Americus , GA. - Tyeesiah Harris writes a letter to the Americus Times-Recorder. It is a story that plagues far too many US citizens -- being held prisoner in one's home due to dangerous dogs that authorities do not have the power to remove. Not only do individuals have few rights before an attack, in the hopes to prevent an attack, they often have few rights after an attack as well. In many cities, authorities only take action after a "second" dog attack.

I would be very appreciative of someone that can assist me with my rights as a homeowner when it comes to my property. For years now I have had several problems with my neighbor’s dogs (Rottweilers and pit bulls). In the beginning we brushed it off as a close call when the dogs would come onto our property or chase our visitors. There was an instance where their Rottweiler chased our painter in our yard; it chased my mother-in-law while she was visiting. On several occasions where I have returned home with my kids and was unable to get out of the car because the dogs would stand in my yard and bark at us until the police or animal control arrived 15 to 20 minutes later. There was an instance where I walked to my mailbox and on my way back to the house, both the pitbull and the Rottweiler ran towards me; I froze. The pitbull jumped up on me and the Rottweiler made several circles around me until the teenage neighbor came on their porch and called them back. I could only imagine what would have happened if one of my children had checked the mailbox that day.

One of the pitbulls chewed through another neighbor’s privacy fence and attacked their dog. One of the Rottweilers was burned in their utility house that caught fire.

Just recently my 10-year-old did check the mailbox and yes my neighbor’s pitbull chased him all the way back up to the house through bushes and flower beds. My son jumped up on the back of my husband’s truck and the pitbull proceeded to stand there and bark at him aggressively. The adult dog owner came out of the house and assured my son and husband that the dog would not bite. I have one question: did the dog tell her that? I don’t know much about animals, but I don’t think they think things through or are remorseful for what’s in their nature.

From my understanding there is a leash law here in Americus; unfortunately it has not been enforced during neither of the 10-12 occasions that we have called the Americus Police Department about these dogs.

The reason I am writing this letter is because my husband was under our garage adding new locks to the back door and the dog came under the garage barking at him viciously. I am seven months pregnant and was lying down when the barking sounded as if it was in the house. I became terrified when I got up to see that our back door was standing wide open and my husband was attempting to protect himself with a hammer. The dog would not move; the dog stayed under our garage and barked at my husband until the teenage neighbor called him back.

My husband called 911 and the dispatcher told him to either call her back when the dog bites him or call animal control at 8:30 the next morning. I am so frustrated because I am pretty much being told by law enforcement that until someone is attacked by these vicious dogs, there is nothing they can do. I really would like to stop it before it gets to the extreme of my family being mutilated or killed by a dog because of the owner’s negligence and irresponsibility.

I pay a mortgage every month, but I am a prisoner in my own home because of these dogs. I am afraid to let my kids go out and play in the yard. What rights do I have? Do I have the right to shoot the dog when it’s on my property? Do I have the right to contact their homeowner’s insurance? Do I have right to have the dog removed because of the owner’s negligence in keeping the dog on a leash and on their property?

Related articles:
08/14/08: Comment: Reporting a Dangerous Pit Bull as Suspected Insurance Fraud
06/26/08: Comment: Use All Resources to Crack Down on Irresponsible Pit Bull Owners

Labels: letter to the editor, trapped in home