Magistrate Oneidge Walrond–Allicock yesterday ordered that the pit bull that attacked a jogger last year October be put down, failing which the owner would face a fine for each day the dog is kept alive.
In addition Vilton Bourne who was charged with suffering a ferocious dog to be at large and not muzzled was fined $15,000 or six months in prison after he yesterday admitted ownership of one of the two dogs that carried out the attack, leaving miner/furniture manufacturer, Lennox Wade unable to use one of his hands. Wade had also suffered deep wounds and scratches to his legs, feet, back and neck during the early morning attack that lasted for about 13 minutes.
Yesterday’s calling in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court was for Bourne to lead his defence and he did so from behind the court rails.
Wade with his right hand strapped and which had several visible marks including a long one on the inside of the hand, was present for the proceedings.
Bourne said that he knows that the virtual complainant (Wade) was bitten by two dogs but he is “owning up to one of the dogs”. He later stressed that he only has one dog which has three pups and is clueless as to where the other dog, that took part in the attack, came from.
The young man pleaded with the court and Wade to be lenient on him since he was unable to finish his studies and is unemployed.
“I understand that the act was a very serious one”, he said adding that the pit bull was there for his protection as the area he resides in harbours thieves.
Since he had gotten the animal, he told the court, no thieves have gone into his yard and no parts from his vehicle were stolen.
According to Bourne, his yard has a high fence around it and up to now he still does not know how the dog got out, pointing out that he never had problems with it before.
Further he said that someone took care of the dog and when he left that day, it was locked up.
After hearing his side of the story, the magistrate told Bourne that under the legislation the court can order that the dog be destroyed.
A few minutes later she handed down that penalty before informing Bourne that a fine will be assigned for every day that he fails to comply with the order. She did not state a sum.
She said that that penalty was in relation to the dogs and he as the owner would have to pay a $15, 000 court fine or spend six months in prison.
Bourne who seemed unmoved by the decision was told that the fine had to be paid immediately.
Well Road
In October last, Wade was attacked by two pit bulls while jogging in the vicinity of Well Road in North Ruimveldt.
After about thirteen minutes of calling for help while the dogs were mauling him, a woman living nearby threw a bucket of water on the ferocious animals. Wade was later rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was admitted. He underwent two surgeries there to repair his badly damaged right hand and earlier this year he went to Cuba for further treatment. He spent one month there and during this time underwent another operation on the hand.
The doctors at the institution where Wade was hospitalized informed him that he sustained a dislocated wrist and shoulder.
Several days after the attack, Bourne was arrested but when he appeared before Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys he pleaded not guilty to the charge and was subsequently released on self bail.
The case was then transferred to Magistrate Walrond-Allicock, who heard testimony from about eight witnesses, including Wade and his wife, Sharon.
Following several pit bulls attacks, this newspaper had contacted an official at the Police’s Canine Division to ascertain what happens to a ferocious dog that has mauled someone. The official indicated that the animals are kept at that facility until the court decides what should be done with them. The official also stated that during his many years at the division, he could not recall the court ever ordering the animals to be destroyed. Several persons that this newspaper spoke to also said that they could not recall hearing that a dog was ordered to be destroyed after a vicious attack.
The Dog Act states that “Where upon the hearing of a complaint before a magistrate that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control it appears to the magistrate that such a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, he may make an order directing that the dog be kept by the owner under proper control or destroyed, and any person failing to comply with such an order shall be liable to a fine of four dollars for every day during which he fails to comply with such order”.
Many have also called for amendments to the act, to penalize dog owners more especially if someone is left disabled or dead.
