By Mike Louviere

The Orange Leader

 

PINEHURST — Pinehurst may well be going to the dogs. In the last few weeks there have been two incidents of dogs attacking people and one of a large dog attacking a smaller dog.

The first incident of a dog attacking a human occurred on Lark Street when a man was mowing his yard and a Pitt Bull escaped from a dog runner and charged the man. The dog did so reportedly unprovoked. The man suffered serious injuries to his arms and torso and was admitted to a Beaumont hospital for treatment.

The full-grown Pitt Bull was being used for breeding at the house across the street from where the attack occurred. The dog was taken to the Pinehurst animal shelter for quarantine. Two days later a second dog from the same residence chased a neighbor riding a bicycle. Animal control from West Orange assisted in the call and shot the dog with a tranquilizer gun.

Pinehurst authorities investigated the residence and found six dogs, all Pitt Bulls, at the residence. According to the City of Pinehurst website the legal limit of dogs or cats kept within a single-family dwelling is four. In spite of this violation of the legal limit no charges were filed by the city against the owner of the dogs.

On Monday, May 23, Officer K. Norton of the Pinehurst Police Department was called to W. Harding Circle in response to a vicious dog report.

While a neighbor was attempting to mow her yard, two Pitt Bull dogs were attempting to break through the fence of an adjacent home. On arrival, Norton attempted to secure the fence and contact the owner of the dogs.

One of the dogs managed to break through the fence and charged Norton and several others in an aggressive manner. The officer was forced to shoot the dog before anyone was harmed. No charges were filed against the owner of the dog.

Another dog incident occurred in the neighborhood of 35th Street and Whippoorwill Street. A Miniature Schnauzer, normally a house dog, was in the yard of its residence when a Rottweiler charged out of its yard and attacked the smaller dog. The Schnauzer was injured and taken to a local veterinarian.

There had been complaints against the Rottweiler in the past. The owner has allegedly not complied with prior orders to obtain liability insurance to cover the actions of the dog and had not complied with an order to remove the dog from the residence. As a result the owner of the Rottweiler has been ordered to appear in the Pinehurst municipal court on Wednesday May 25, 2016.