City debates how to handle dog problems

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Rockford Register Star

By Bob Schaper

ROCKFORD — Winnebago County officials stood before city leaders and residents Tuesday night, providing grim statistics on Rockford dog bites and the frustrating realities of animal control.


Gary Longanecker, executive director of animal services, said 415 dog bites were reported in the city last year, with the largest percentage coming from pit bulls and associated mixes. Labrador retrievers and their mixes came in second.


Another breed that made the top-five bite list was the Rottweiler — a fact that wasn’t lost on third-grader Derrick Lider.


Derrick was attacked June 2 by Scorpion, a friend’s 2-year-old Rottweiler mix, leaving deep scars on both sides of the 8-year-old’s face.


“(Scorpion) just came running out of the house,” Derrick said, sitting on a couch in his 18th Street neighborhood. “Then he just jumped on me. Then he was chewing my face. Then my dad just pulled him off of me.”


At SwedishAmerican Hospital, Lider received 26 stitches to the face and one in the arm. Doctors have told him to stay out of the sunlight all summer long, so as not to discolor the scars.


Cynthia Lider, Derrick’s mother, cries when she talks about the incident. Derrick’s father, Rick, witnessed the attack and still has nightmares, she said. When asked whether he was now afraid of dogs, Derrick softly replied, “Kind of.”


At Tuesday’s meeting, officials from the state’s attorney’s office said current law prevents Rockford from passing laws banning certain breeds. Darrell Kolthoff, a longtime Rockford resident, said such laws were not needed anyway.


“We need more education on how to be a good pet owner,” he said. “Dogs are what you make them.”


Six aldermen and about 50 residents attended Tuesday’s meeting. Ald. Doug Mark said he knew an 87-year-old resident of his ward who was perpetually awakened by a barking dog.


Longanecker said that nuisance owners could be taken to court and ordered to pay a fine, but he had no authority to impound a barking dog, no matter how many complaints he received. In one case, he said, animal-control officers responded to the same address nine times.


“They’re irresponsible people,” Longanecker said, referring to some owners.


After the session, Ald. Jeff Holt questioned whether the city receives good value for the $513,000 it will pay to Winnebago County for animal-control services received in 2005.


“(A few) years ago the city was paying around $300,000 a year,” Holt said.


Animal control received $1.09 million in revenue from registration and other fees last year, and spent $1.88 million. The difference is paid by municipalities, with each paying according to the amount of services used.


Rockford used 64 percent of the county’s animal-control services in 2005. Holt said the county should use sales-tax revenue from the public-safety referendum to make up the budget deficit.


Staff writer Bob Schaper can be reached at 815-987-1410 or bschaper@rrstar.com.

National numbers


Every 40 seconds someone in the United States seeks medical attention for a dog bite-related injury.


Dog attacks cause 4.5 million injuries annually, 800,000 of which require medical attention.


At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States.


Pit bulls and Rottweilers account for over half of these deaths.


24 percent of human deaths involve unrestrained dogs off their owners’ property.


58 percent of human deaths involve unrestrained dogs on their owners’ property.

Source: American Humane Society

Preventing dog bites


Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.


Do not run from a dog and scream.


Remain motionless when approached by an unfamiliar dog.


If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still.


Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.


Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.


Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.


Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.


Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.


If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention