FREE
The Review
SWEAT EQUITY
April 29, 2014
PAGE 5
OGLE COUNTY | PIT BULL ATTACK UPDATE
Will dogs’ owner be charged? State’s attorney expects report BY DAVID GIULIANI
Although Ogle County impounded the pit bulls that attacked a rural Ashton woman Monday and got the owner’s agreement to euthanize the dogs, no action has been taken so far against the owner. State’s Attorney Mike Rock said Wednesday that he expects to receive a report on the attack before he determines what action the county can take. In an interview, Tom Champley, the county’s animal control administrator, wouldn’t release the owner’s name, citing the owner’s privacy. He said the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department might be able to do so, but a person answering the phone at the sheriff’s office said Champley’s office was handling the investigation. Champley said he would get the state’s attorney’s opinion on the incident. On Monday, the woman, Aneda Ebert, 63, 3413 Dugdale Road, was jogging past a neighbor’s house in southern Ogle County, near Ashton, when two pit bulls ran out of their yard and attacked her. Her husband, Larry, rescued her. If he hadn’t, Champley said, she could have been killed. Champley said his county can cite an owner of loose dogs, but “there’s not a fine if a dog bites.� Vanessa Scott, Whiteside County’s animal control warden, said authorities can charge owners of attacking dogs when there is evidence the owners knew their dogs had the potential to do harm without provocation. Previous incidents, she said, can serve as proof. “If this happened in Whiteside County, we would have gone to the state’s attorney to get proper direction to go further with it, to see whether we could charge the owner criminally,� she said. Champley said his office can’t base its decisions on hearsay. “Legally, there has to be a prior report on these dogs� before animal control can pursue charges, he said. So how do dogs turn into attackers? “It could be a lot of different things: how they are bred, how their family environment is,� Scott said. ‡‡ $JULFXOWXUDO ‡ $JULFXOWXUDO ‡ 5HVLGHQWLDO ‡ 5HVLGHQWLDO ‡ (TXLQH ‡ (TXLQH ‡ &RPPHUFLDO ‡ &RPPHUFLDO
DING IN YOUR UTUR S A U IL E?
Prices not as pictured.
Free Quotes
Proud to Provide
Americans with Jobs
Call For Your Illinois Representative Toll Free
888-567-7166
WE’RE THINKING SPRING! ARE YOU? 30’x45’x10’ $12,480 42’x72’x13’ $22,850 60’x117’x œ $47,520
“It could be their natural prey instinct. You cannot read dogs’ minds. You should never say my dog will never bite.� Whiteside County knows all too well about dog attacks. In January State’s Attorney 2005, 14-year-old Lydia Chaplin Mike Rock was walking alone when she was Expects a report attacked by four dogs – three pit- on two pit bulls’ attack of an bulls and a mixed breed – close to Ashton woman her rural home near Erie. The dogs left her badly injured; before determining what action she died of hypothermia. can be taken At the time, there was no law with which to prosecute the owner, whose dogs were running loose. Then-state Rep. Jerry Mitchell, R-Sterling, sought to change that. He wanted legislation that focused on certain breeds of dogs such as pit bulls, but some felt his effort was unfair. After a couple of years, Mitchell succeeded in passing a bill that he considered watered down. The new law revised the Animal Control Act to include a definition of potentially dangerous dogs. If a dog is running unsupervised with three or more other dogs, it can be deemed potentially dangerous and required to be spayed or neutered. This law wouldn’t have applied to the Ogle County situation, which involved just two dogs. Mitchell said his original bill was based on extensive research. “I heard from a lot of people, such as in the Chicago area. They were so angry,� he recalled. “What they were upset about was that I had pinpointed pitbulls as the problem.� The ultimate bill, he said, wasn’t as effective as he had wanted. “I wanted it restricted to dogs that are the most aggressive. Research shows that they can be as docile as can be, then they turn,� Mitchell said. “I think we should do something as a state to control these dogs so they don’t run free, and I don’t care whether you are in the city or the country.�
"2%!4(% #,%!.%2 !)2 $20 OFF AIRwithDUCT CLEANING this ad With this ad. Minimum Charges Still Apply.
s !IR $UCT #LEANING 3ANITIZING s #ARPET &URNITURE #LEANING s &IRE 7ATER 2ESTORATION
*Snow loads vary per job. Each building special comes with different different VSHFLÂżFDWLRQV &DOO IRU GHWDLOV VSHFLÂżFDWLRQV &DOO IRU GHWDLOV
815-288-1644
www.pinnobuildings.com
Sales Staff Throughout Wisconsin & Illinois
Let Our Over 35 Years Of Experience Work For You!
The Premier Independent $QQMUGNNGT %QǢGGJQWUG KP VJG 5CWM 8CNNG[ 202 West First St. Downtown Dixon 815.285.BOOK(2665) YYY DQQMUQPǣTUV EQO
.KXG /WUKE QP 5CVWTFC[U Ćž PM /C[ &KTV 5KORNG /C[ %CTUKEM 4CFKQ %JGEM 1WV 1WT )TGCV 5GNGEVKQP QH /GNKUUC &QWI 6Q[U
Dixon, Illinois Exp. 4/30/13
www.supremecleanersinc.com
SPRING TIRE SALE Rebates Available on Various Brands See Dealer for Details
FREE Nitrogen Fill with purchase of 4 Tires
BERGY’S AUTOMOTIVE . $IVISION !VENUE s 0OLO ), s &AX
Victim looking ‘considerably better’ BY DAVID GIULIANI
ASHTON – A woman who was severely attacked by two pit bulls Monday “looked considerably better� Wednesday, her family says. Aneda Ebert, 63, 3413 Dugdale Road, was jogging past a neighbor’s house in southern Ogle County, near Ashton, when two pit bulls ran out of the yard and attacked her. “Mom already looked considerably better today,� the family said in an update on Ebert’s Facebook page about 1 a.m. Wednesday. “She’s very broken on many levels, but time will heal her.� On Monday, the posting said she had undergone surgery to clean up her wounds. “Tomorrow, she will have surgery again around noon to start her repairs,� the posting said. “She is very nervous about creating more pain, but this will be a big step toward recovery, so she’ll get through this.� The family thanked the public for its support. “Keep the comments coming – it lifts mom’s
spirit to hear your comments, texts.� When Ebert was jogging, her husband, Larry, was riding a bike. In an interview Tuesday, Tom Champley, Ogle County’s animal control administrator, said it was good that her husband was with her, or “it might have been a fatality.� She suffered severe injuries to her neck, shoulder and leg. Ebert was taken by ambulance to KSB Hospital in Dixon. The dogs were impounded by animal control, Champley said, and the owner agreed that they should be euthanized. He said no previous problems had been reported with the two dogs. Champley said privacy issues prevented him from releasing the name of the dogs’ owner. Ebert is a part-time teacher at Tilton School in the Rochelle Elementary school district. “Obviously, we’re all concerned,� Superintendent Todd Prusator said Wednesday. “We care about Aneda. We hope she makes a complete recovery.�
American Heart Association CPR training at your facility or in our convenient locations CPR & First Aid
Family and friends to professional levels
Call: 815-564-0977
For rates & times or to schedule a group
Mercy Nursing Services
³7KH $PHULFDQ +HDUW $VVRFLDWLRQ VWURQJO\ SURPRWHV NQRZOHGJH DQG SUR¿FLHQF\ LQ %/6 $&/6 DQG 3$/6 DQG KDV GHYHORSHG LQVWUXFWLRQDO PDWHULDOV IRU WKLV SXUSRVH 8VH RI WKHVH PDWHULDOV LQ DQ HGXFDWLRQDO FRXUVH GRHV QRW UHSUHVHQW FRXUVH VSRQVRUVKLS E\ WKH $PHULFDQ +HDUW $VVRFLDWLRQ $Q\ IHH FKDUJHG IRU VXFK D FRXUVH H[FHSW IRU D SRUWLRQ RI IHHV QHHGHG IRU WKH $+$ FRXUVH PDWHULDO GR QRW UHSUHVHQW LQFRPH WR WKH $VVRFLDWLRQ ´
925 Depot Avenue
Dixon, IL
815-284-6564