BLANCHESTER —Blanchester police say an officer shot a dog that attacked him and two other dogs were seized at the site of numerous reports of dogs running loose.
At around noon on Saturday Blanchester police officer Cody Lee was dispatched to the mobile home park at 800 E. Center St. regarding three dogs running loose, stated Police Chief Scott Reinbolt in a news release Monday.
“Ptl. Lee and other Blanchester police officers have handled calls previously in which three dogs residing at lot 26 were running loose, so he went to that trailer,” stated Reinbolt. “When he walked up to lot 26, three large dogs from that residence charged him. One lunged at his torso while another took hold of his right calf with its mouth.
“Ptl. Lee shot and killed the dog that had hold of his leg. The other two dogs then retreated into the house.”
Reinbolt said a Clinton County Sheriff’s deputy and Clinton County Dog Warden Rex Doak responded to the scene to assist Ptl. Lee. An ambulance was summoned and EMS personnel examined Ptl. Lee, but did not transport him to the hospital.
“No one was home at the trailer at lot 26 at the time of the incident,” said Reinbolt. “Ptl. Lee interviewed witnesses, and Warden Doak seized the two other dogs. One witness confirmed that the dogs that attacked Ptl. Lee were the dogs seen running at-large that caused the initial call to police.”
Ptl. Lee later drove himself to Clinton Memorial Hospital where he was treated for an abrasion to his right calf and released, said Reinbolt.
“The police department has been called to lot 26 numerous times over the summer regarding the dogs running loose,” he said. “Between early June and early July, five charges of permitting a dog to run at-large were filed in Municipal Court against the residents of lot 26. The County Dog Warden brought several charges against the residents for having no tags for the dogs as well.”
Reinbolt said charges as a result of the Saturday incident are pending discussion with the dog warden scheduled for later Monday. “We are grateful for the assistance of the Dog Warden’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office in this case,” he added.
