Pit bull won’t be put to sleep
A pet owner has agreed to forfeit his pit bull and not own a dog while he is on probation to settle a case where his dog bit a child at the Jungle Jym last week.
The defendant, Jeff B. Green, 24, entered a guilty plea Tuesday before General Sessions Judge Larry Ross to charges of reckless endangerment and vandalism. He was placed on probation for a year and a half during which time he has agreed not to own or try to adopt a dog. He also forfeited his pit bull.
The charges came after his dog bit a 13-year-old girl at Jungle Jym. Dogs are not allowed to roam at-large within the city limits and are not permitted in the Jungle Jym. The teen was not seriously injured.
The biting followed two other incidents involving the dog which occurred within a month’s time of the Jungle Jym incident. Earlier, the dog allegedly tried to attack a police officer who was conducting other business on Havern Street. On that occasion, Green reportedly called off the dog after the officer drew his sidearm. Before the Havern Street incident, the dog inflicted several hundreds of dollars worth of damage on a motel room where Green was staying, leading to the vandalism charge.
According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, an attempt to dispose of the animal was stopped because to warrant such an action, the dog would have had to inflicted serious bodily harm on the child it attacked. Since the injury was minor, the dog could not be forcibly put to sleep.
In having Green forfeit the dog as part of his plea settlement, the court directed the dog to be sent to the Hamilton County Humane Society. The group there will decide if the dog is adoptable. If it is not, it may then be put to sleep. Neither Green nor any member of his family will be allowed to adopt the dog.