Audio clip
Karen Walsh
An owner of the dog that attacked four cars -- including two police vehicles -- on Sunday says she doesn't blame police officers for using pepper spray and a Taser in attempts to subdue the animal.
"I cannot believe they didn't shoot him," said Nancy Emerling, one of the dog's owners. "I think that the officers showed amazing restraint. They could not have been nicer."
Ms. Emerling said that before Sunday her dog Winston, a mixed pit bull breed, never has been aggressive toward anything other than lawn equipment. But on that day, Winston attacked two police vehicles -- chewing the tires and tearing the bumper off one -- and two other vehicles after he found his way out of the two fences he was kept behind.
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Contributed Photo: Winston, the dog that attacked a police car.
An officer was running radar in a parking lot next to Mann's Welding Co. on Workman Road when the attack began. Ms. Emerling said she thinks either the blue police lights or possibly the sound of the radar gun triggered the nearly 3-year-old dog.
"He has never shown aggression toward people," she said. "He's very sweet, very good natured."
An officer from McKamey Animal Center eventually was able to capture Winston by using a pole. The dog now is in McKamey's Safe Harbor, where animals involved in bite cases and other legal cases are held, said Karen Walsh, the center's executive director.
"This is our first dog attacking a car, doing this kind of damage," she said.
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Police car the bulldog chewed up.
Ms. Emerling was given a citation for Winston being a "potentially dangerous dog," Ms. Walsh said, and the case will go before City Court Judge Sherry Paty, who hears all the local animal cases, on March 25. Ms. Walsh said it will be up to the judge to determine what happens to Winston.
Since the dog has been under McKamey's watch, he has not shown any signs of aggression, Ms. Walsh said.
"He has not been throwing himself at the bars or any of the things that some of the dogs do," she said. "But he's not on trial for being aggressive toward people. He's on trial for what happened that day."
Brittany Cofer is a business reporter who has been with the Chattanooga Times Free Press since January 2010. She previously worked as a general assignment Metro reporter. In the Business department, she covers banking, retail, tourism, consumer issues and green issues. Brittany is from Conyers, Ga., and spent two years at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., before transferring to the University of Georgia. She graduated from the university’s Grady College of Journalism in December ...
Pull its teeth out and let it go.
I dunno ... with the plastic bumpers they have on cars these days, he could probably gum one off ;)
One would think that the police car would have fought back.
Cops were probably enjoying the assault on the city's car. Morale is most likely very low now with how the city is treating its' officers.
Cesar Millan.... where are you? Winston has become a famous dog and will be happier (and calm submissive) once he finds a new home with an owner who cares.
I agree Bookie. I've worked with pits and pit mixes, even those who have been abused. To my surprise, they are like any other breed who can learn to respond to love, kindness, discipline, correct training and alot of exercise, fresh air and playtime.
This poor animal it seems, had none of the above. Dogs are social animals who love to bond with humans. Caged up, fenced, neglected, lonely dogs do not thrive. Would you guys under the same circumstances? And none of you reply that your wife neglects you and keeps you caged up. That's not as bad by a long shot. You get videos and cable TV, no?
It would seem that if the dog was a danger to humans, he would have attacked the officer. It seems that even after pepper spray and then being tazered, he still had his wits and yet no one reported being bitten.
I for one, if tazered and sprayed would attack whomever with everything I could.
Good thing Chattanooga Police have a new outlet to sponge more money, dog proof bumpers.
I'm glad the officers didn't shoot the dog. Of course, the dog wasn't black.
The dog didn't have a gun pointed in the officer's direction either, bret.
So you are making this into a racist issue. Why does that not surprise me.
You sure your real name isn't Sharpton, or Wright, or something?
Free Winston!!
Send that dog to washington!
That's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! It's obvious to me that the dogs were just having a great old "play time" with the car!
I bet these dogs had a hard time chewing that car's tires. But seriously, what did that car do for them to wreck it?
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