Nov 7, 2005 7:55 pm US/Central
Pit Bulls' Owner Cited In Attack
by Joanie Lum
CARY (CBS) ―
A man was cited Monday for failing to control three pit bulls that escaped from his home and went on a rampage, attacking six people, the McHenry County sheriff said Monday.
The citations were announced after one of the two children hospitalized after the attack was upgraded from serious to fair condition. The other child remained in critical condition Monday.
Scott Sword, 41, was cited for three counts of having a dog at large, a petty fine punishable by up to $600, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren said after a meeting with McHenry County State's Attorney Louis A. Bianchi.
Officials so far have decided against criminal charges because Sword's dogs did not have a history of violence, although an investigation into the incident was ongoing, Nygren said.
"We've never been out there before and people in the neighborhood said the dogs were pretty well behaved," Nygren said.
The McHenry County sheriff has tried to re-interview, the owner of the three pit bulls about Saturday's vicious attack, but Scott Sword has been unavailable.
"All the owner could tell us was that the dog that ran out of the house initially had been acting weird," Nygren said.
Police say 10-year-old Nicholas Foley went to the house to see a playmate. Te-year-old Jourdan Lamarre was out selling Girl Scout cookies when the dogs ran out of the house.
"The dog knocked the little girl down at the end of the driveway and began to maul her. He, Mr. Sword, went to the little girl's assistance, and was himself injured by the dog. Meanwhile, the other two pit bulls were attacking the 10-year-old boy," Nygren said.
Four adults were injured trying to save the children. One neighbor revved up the engine of his truck to scare the dogs, and authorities eventually shot all three.
Sheriff's police say there is no record the dogs had ever bitten anyone and no evidence in the house the dogs were mistreated or trained to do harm.
But local authorities are reviewing other communities' laws regulating pit bulls and other breeds.
"I think it's time for the community to discuss it. The dog owners have to talk to the concerned citizens, the county board, our legislators, and bring that dialog and investigate it a little bit more," Nygren said.
The attacks started late Saturday afternoon when two children, going door-to-door for a fund-raiser, arrived at Sword's home near Cary in unincorporated McHenry County.
The dogs escaped from the house and attacked 10-year-olds Jourdan Lamarre and Nick Foley, witnesses said. When neighbors tried to stop them, they were also attacked. Desperate residents, some armed with rocks, pots and pans and baseball bats, tried to help before authorities arrived and fatally shot the dogs.
Of the six people injured in the attacks, only the children remained hospitalized Monday.
Lamarre was upgraded Monday to fair condition, but Foley remained in critical condition, said a spokeswoman at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
Sword, Nick's father, Harold, and two others were treated for injuries and released over the weekend.
The Foley family posted a written statement on their front door Monday, thanking neighbors for their support, WLS-TV of Chicago reported.
"Nick has a very difficult road of recovery ahead of him. ... Our prayers are with all who have been affected by this unfortunate tragedy and we ask for your prayers to continue for us as well," the statement said.
McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler said the timing of the attack was ironic because officials had just met on Friday to discuss the "Anna Cieslewicz Act," also known as the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Act.
The bill, signed into law in August, was named after Cieslewicz, 48, a pediatrics nurse who was attacked and killed by dogs while jogging in the Dan Ryan Woods in Chicago in 2002. It aims to decrease the populations of stray dogs and feral cats through spaying and neutering programs.
"We have a lot of issues with animal control up here in McHenry County," said Koehler, who planned to meet with the state's attorney to discuss possible changes to local laws.
Meanwhile, another violent incident involving a pit bull attack was reported Sunday in Decatur.
Police shot a pit bull that attacked a Macon County Sheriff's deputy and a police dog who were assisting the Decatur police with a burglary call.
The deputy was treated for a bite wound to his calf, which he got while trying to protect his dog, Chaix, said Macon County Sheriff Jerry Dawson. Chaix had minor injuries to his ear and neck.
The pit bull underwent surgery and was stable Monday, said Melissa Gunn, director of Macon County Animal Control. Veterinarians planned to monitor the animal for signs of rabies.
(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
