NeffZone: Terror on Holly Road

Oreo did not deserve to be murdered in his own front yard. I realize "murder" is a pretty harsh term, but I don't know what else to call it. Here are the details (which I will present in a rather vague manner so there can be no hint of libel or slander). As Joe Friday said on Dragnet: "Just the facts."

Oreo was an 18 year-old cat and the beloved pet of my daughter's family on Holly Road. On Tuesday afternoon he decided to do what many old duffers might do on a beautiful fall day, stretch out on his front porch and bask in the sunshine. As a senior citizen feline, Oreo was at a time of life when his hearing was pretty much gone, he was not as spry as he once was, and he seldom ventured out of his yard. Whether inside or outside he spent about 95% of each day napping.

As things unfolded on Tuesday, he never had a chance of surviving the day. Two dogs, identified by witnesses as a boxer and a pit bull, came into the yard and viciously attacked Oreo. He probably never heard them coming.

Hearing the commotion the next door neighbor looked out her window and saw what was happening. She and her son rushed to Oreo's aid in an attempt to save him, but the dogs, growling and baring their fangs, turned on them and chased them back into their own house. She then called my daughter, who was at work, to tell her what was going on. The neighbor knew that my son-in-law and 8 year-old grand daughter were due home at any time and she wanted to warn my son-in-law to keep my grand daughter in the car because the dogs were still on the loose and in the yard.

When my son-in-law arrived he found the horrific scene in his front yard. He saw the dogs in the back yard and went after them. They turned and bared their teeth at him but when he picked up a big stick they retreated heading east down the White Pine Trail. He followed them across Sunnyside to a house whereupon a woman identified the dogs as hers and acknowledged that she was aware they were loose. Not even an apology was offered. My son-in-law also saw two more snarling dogs in the house trying to get out at him and at the same time had to back down the loose dogs once again. Meanwhile, my grand daughter stayed in the car where she had to look at the carnage the dogs had left behind.

Animal Control was summoned and even though they were in Mesick at the time they arrived quickly. They were efficient and sympathetic. They did everything possible under existing law, which was issue a ticket to the dogs' owner. In looking into the matter, I learned that this is all that can be done on a first offense and the fine is so insignificant it's not much of a deterrent. It's not until the dogs commit a second attack that another ticket can be issued for negligence.

Under Cadillac City Ordinance, Section 6-47: Public Nuisance, it states that: " No person shall own, harbor or keep any animal or animals that unreasonably annoy humans, endanger the life or health of any other animal or persons..." The law is violated if a dog: "Molests or intimidates pedestrians or passersby; Attacks other domestic animals; or Has been found by the authority for animal control, after notice to its owner and a hearing, to be a public nuisance animal by virtue of being a menace to the public health, welfare or safety." In addition, under Sec. 6-49. - Vicious animals prohibited, it says: "No person shall own, harbor or keep any animal that attacks, bites, or injures human beings or domesticated animals without adequate provocation..."

There is no doubt that this attack violated city ordinances. Now, I suppose you could respond that Oreo was also in violation because Section 6-48 says, "All cats and dogs shall be kept under restraint." Okay, Oreo was not on a leash. Does that mean two dogs should then be excused from crossing a busy Sunnyside Drive, traveling unattended up the White Pine Trail, coming onto another person's property, and killing an 18 year-old deaf and feeble cat? You really want to make that argument?

I don't want to be an alarmist, but because of where this incident took place you can imagine your own horrible scenarios. There are two dogs capable of killing domestic pets and showing no fear in confronting and chasing adults. Cadillac Shores apartments are nearby, a complex where many children live. Many children also live along Holly Road and there's a daycare in the neighborhood. Hundreds of people regularly walk, run, bike, and walk their dogs along that stretch of the White Pine between Lake Street and Sunnyside. In addition, scores of senior citizens who live at the Harbor View apartments use the White Pine Trail every day. You fill in the possible disastrous blanks.

Now, our family is not a bunch of dog haters. Even though my son-in-law does not own a dog he snowblows a path across his property each winter so neighbors and their dogs have a way to access the White Pine. There is no agenda here against any particular breed of dog.

That said, my goal in relating this story to you is to alert you to a possible bad situation. The traffic on the White Pine Trail makes it a community concern. I encourage you to report any incidents (on the trail or elsewhere in Cadillac) to Animal Control at 231-779-9211 . It's important to report first incidents so authorities can give owners of problem dogs a chance to rectify a potential danger. Hopefully, this situation will have been resolved by the time you read this, but be observant in case it has not. I don't know about you, but I'm not very interested in being a second incident and I surely don't want a child, senior, or someone's family pet to be one either.