By RYAN S. PUGH
Clarion News writer
Shippenville has a dog problem and borough council members Aug. 10 discussed ways to improve the situation, including reporting dogs running at large.
On July 12, borough council vice-president Mike Cotherman and council member Mike Petronzio where attacked by a pair of pit bulls while investigating a drainage issue at Rick and Patty Earlys’ residence along North Third Street.
On Aug. 12, state police Tpr. Brian Tanner filed four counts of harboring a dangerous dog against a Shippenville resident in relation to the attack a month earlier.
Cotherman informed council and the town residents in attendance how he and a group of other people, including Petronzio, borough maintenance supervisor Russ Rennard and contractor Tim Camby, were confronted by a pair of pit bulls which had broken loose from a property located near the Early residence.
Cotherman said Rennard and Camby protected themselves behind trees while he and Petronzio were attacked in the open by the dogs. Petronzio was bitten on the hand by one of the dogs.
Cotherman said he alerted the pit bulls’ owner about the dogs while he called the Pennsylvania State Police about the situation. Cotherman said the owner was able to get a leash on one of the dogs. Cotherman said he tried to lead the other dog back to the owner. However, Cotherman wasn’t able to get the dog back to its owner and Cotherman was bit on the leg by the pit bull causing a seven-inch gash on his leg.
Cotherman said Camby informed him that he had a pistol in his truck. Cotherman retrieved the pistol told the dog’s owner if he couldn’t get his dog under control, he was going to shoot the dog. Cotherman said the owner said, “shoot it.”
Cotherman said the dog charged him and he shot the pit bull in the head wounding it.
Rennard applauded Cotherman’s actions.
One town resident said that pit bulls are becoming a growing problem in the town while Cotherman said the pit bulls have kept a resident trapped in their car when they got home from work because the resident was afraid to exit their vehicle.
On occasion the pit bulls have attacked and killed chickens located in the borough.
Cotherman said there were five pit bulls located on the property where the two dogs had broken free from and he said he had also seen three pit bulls running loose near his property.
Patty Early mentioned she had also spotted four pit bull puppies at the residence.
Council members are concerned that if the dogs continue to run loose there could be an incident where someone could get seriously hurt.
Cotherman said the pit bulls have been a nuisance in the borough for a while now and had attacked others. However, the other attacks were never reported so the Clarion County dog warden has no previous record of the dogs’ behavior. Cotherman said if a dog had two violent attacks in its history, it would be destroyed. The dog could also be destroyed if there is an attack where the dog caused serious bodily harm.
At the time of the council meeting Aug. 10 — according to Cotherman, the only charges filed against the dog owner in the attack on he and Petronzio was a non-traffic violation of failure to license the dogs.
Council President Linda Duffee said council will get in touch with the borough’s legal counsel Andrea Stapleford to see what steps the borough can take next.
Duffee said she believes Cotherman and Petronzio should press charges against the pit bulls’ owner.
Those living in the borough that see an unleashed and unaccompanied dog near its property, contact either Clarion County Dog Warden Matthew Patrick at 724-525-6490 or call the Clarion State Police barracks to make a report.
Residents are also encouraged to take pictures or videos of the canines from a safe distance to show the warden.
Editor’s note: On Aug. 21 state police at Clarion issued a report stating a 62-year-old Shippenville man was cited for allowing his German shepherd dog get free at 5:13 p.m. Aug. 17 along Second Street in Shippenville. The dog then bit a 70-year-old Shippenville man’s forearm.
For more local news, visit TheClarionNews.com.