Dog Remains ‘Dangerous’
Haley remains a dangerous dog.
Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley refused this week to overturn the label given to a Valley pit bull last month after it bit a 20-month-old girl in the face.
Animal control officer Jennifer Kline deemed the dog dangerous and removed it from its owner’s home on June 17. It had bitten the child, who lives in the home, after she grabbed at its rawhide bone. The injury required nine stitches.
The family appealed the decision to Roskelley, who hears dangerous dog appeals. The remaining county commissioners are expected to sign it Tuesday.
The decision means that, from now on, the pit bull’s owner must meet several stringent requirements or lose the animal.
Joseph “Bill” Mehaffey must pen Haley in a double-fenced enclosure. He must post warning signs on his property, pay $75 a year to register her as a dangerous dog and purchase liability insurance to cover any future injuries inflicted by her. He also must purchase a surety bond of at least $50,000 to be paid to any person she injures in the future.
If he doesn’t meet these requirements, he won’t get his dog back. If he breaks these rules in the future, he faces fines and even jail time.
“It’s pretty ridiculous,” said the mechanic, who still insists Haley isn’t dangerous at all. She’s crippled, he said, and good-natured.
Mehaffey may appeal the decision to Superior Court.
He said he’s also considering moving away.