Commenter Says Homeless Man in Cedar Rapids is "No Victim"

Man, Pit Bull and Lots of Sobs
Cedar Rapids, IW - A man named Dennis Parry, 61, has been in the news of late. He's been sleeping in his car with his pit bull for the last two months. Parry, his 30-year old son (who was the dog's original owner) and the dog Kip became homeless eight weeks ago. Parry tells reporters that Kip "deserves something better. He deserves not to die." He says he's trying find a safe home for his four-legged friend.

It's real sob story; only a full box of Kleenex will due.

Parry can't stay in a homeless shelter with the animal, so he stays in his car instead. In the past 30 months, Parry has been treated for a heart attack, kidney stones and infections in his mouth, sinuses and chest. He also has had surgery for thyroid cancer and most recently suffered from a blood clot in his leg that moved into his lungs. He thinks the clot is due to sleeping in his car.

We call this story to your attention because of a comment that was posted at the original news story. You'll want to chuck that box of Kleenex when you finish reading it. We hope Nancy Crist, the leader of the Animal Welfare Foundation in Jones County, who is helping Parry find the dog a new owner, is aware of this comment too. It appears she's about to place a "biter" into a family.

"After reading this article in today's paper and seeing KCRG's news story on this guy several weeks ago, I just had to post a comment. This guy's dog bit a little girl at Bever Park back in mid-August, and unlike the "victim" he's being portrayed as, he was the one who victimized that little girl. After his dog bit this child, Dennis Parry quickly left the scene without ensuring the child was okay, and without leaving any information regarding himself or the dog. Consequently, the parents of this child had no way of contacting the guy to verify the dog did not have rabies. Due to the fact that neither the police nor animal control could locate the guy or the dog, the parents were forced to make the difficult choice to put their daughter through the full series of rabies shots, which were terribly painful both physically & emotionally for this girl. So before anyone starts feeling sympathy for this guy...be aware that every story has another side - and this guy is NO victim. This is a prime example of poor dog ownership from every point imaginable. This man is thinking of no one but himself, and he certainly demonstrated that the day his dog bit that little girl. Shame on you sir for valuing your own safety, over that of an innocent child. And to both the Gazette & KCRG - a word of caution. You might want to look more closely into the individuals chosen for your stories. I hope by some stroke of luck, Dennis Parry reads this letter and realizes the pain he caused a little girl by making such a poor choice that fateful day at Bever Park."

Related articles:
09/24/08: Pit Bull Owner Blames Attack on "Made Up" Pit Bull
08/22/08: Pit Bull Owner May Be Banned from South Bend City Offices