HOPKINSVILLE, KY (2/21/12) – One Hopkinsville Police Officer responded to two reports of dog bites within two hours on Monday afternoon.

Officer Jerry Marcum first was called shortly after 3 p.m. to respond to a report that a juvenile had been bitten by a dog while playing outside a friend’s house. The officer made contact with the dog on Fenton Court. The animal growled and showed his teeth. 31-year-old Nicole Fruit was cited for permitting a vicious animal to run at large, no license affixed, harboring a vicious animal and not having the dog licensed.

Around 4:30 p.m., Officer Marcum was called to Denzil Drive for a second incident. Upon arrival, he discovered the victim had puncture wounds to the legs and stomach. Proof of a rabies vaccine was obtained through Skyline Animal Clinic. 21-year-old Dustin Winstead-Marks was cited for permitting a vicious dog to run at large and for harboring a vicious animal.

Hopkinsville Police Public Information Officer Paul Ray says that the department has been strictly enforcing the city’s “Dogs Running At Large” ordinance since 2009. The ordinance states that “At Large” for dogs shall mean off the premises of the dog owner and not under immediate effective control of the dog owner or custodian either by leash, cord, chain or other physical restraint, or effectively confined within a fenced area on the dog owner’s premises.

The ordinance continues to say, “At Large” shall mean beyond the dog owner’s line of vision and voice command. The owner of a “vicious dog” shall not permit the dog to go beyond the premises of the owner unless the dog is securely muzzled and restrained by a leash, chain, or cord and under the physical restraint of a person. A “vicious dog,” as described in the city ordinance, is any dog with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury to, or otherwise threaten the safety of human beings or domestic animals.

David Bryant
SurfKY News

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