Dog declared dangerous

View larger image Samson, a St. Bernard, has been added to the regional list of dangerous dogs after he bit a young boy earlier this summer. Daily file

Judge spares Samson after canine bites boy

By Alex Bridges - abridges@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- Samson the St. Bernard joins a growing list of dangerous dogs in the region that have attacked people or other animals.

Winchester General District Judge David S. Whitacre declared Samson "dangerous" Tuesday for biting a young boy in the face at a relative's home earlier this summer. The attack left the boy with wounds that required surgery at a University of Virginia hospital. Under state law, Samson must be registered as a dangerous dog, but the ruling and added conditions spared Samson's life.

The local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has sheltered Samson since the incident, and must now register the dog before allowing a St. Bernard rescue group to take him.

"Each case is different with every dog that comes in here, but it appears the outcome that was negotiated here was probably for the best interest of everybody involved," Will Wood, executive director of the SPCA chapter, said Wednesday.

But not all "dangerous" dogs come from large breeds, according to the state registry run by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Sometimes people have preconceived ideas about different breeds as far as their temperament is concerned," Wood said. "I've had small dogs that can bite just as big dogs can bite. I don't subscribe to the belief that breeds or necessarily even size dictates the viciousness of an animal."

The registry currently lists the following dogs that have been declared dangerous:

• Purpose, a brindle and white pit bull owned by Jennifer A. Botschin-Strom, of 1511 S. Loudoun St., Winchester, which ran at-large, then attacked and injured a person walking on a sidewalk.

• Dior, a brown and white beagle owned by Perry A. Davis, of 141⁄2 W. Bond St., Winchester, which ran at-large on two occasions, each time biting and injuring a mail carrier.

• Ruby, a white and brindle pit bull owned by Nanci L. Castillo, of 1815 Henry Ave., Winchester, which bit a child on the arm and in the face, causing serious injury.

• Dixie, a beagle-bassett hound mix, black with white spots, owned by Constance C. Mitchell, of 163 Stuart Drive, Winchester, which "bit an elderly female on both legs. Wounds were extensive. This is the second incident with this dog," the registry states.

• Lulu, a brown Boxer mix owned by Stacie K. Wolford, of 139 Rosemont Circle, Berryville.

"On March 11, 2007 a jogger in Berryville was attacked by the dog. The victim received several bites to the arm and buttocks, and scratches to the legs, arm and stomach," the site states.

• Rocky, a tan and black SharPei, owned by Jeremy Snyder, with a last known address of 50 Vista Manor Drive, Front Royal. A judge in Fairfax County General District Court declared Rocky dangerous on April 16, 2007, for biting another dog. The agency cannot locate the current owner, who is out of compliance with registration requirements, the site states.

• Rocky, a pit bull and American bulldog mix, brindle and white, owned by William J. Nichols, 433 Belair Ave., Front Royal, which killed another dog.

• Comet, a brown and white boxer-Labrador mix, owned by Rick A. Lillard, of 36 Ash Road, Front Royal, which attacked and fatally injured a cat.

The agency's website (www.vdacs.virginia.gov) listed no dangerous dogs registered in Shenandoah County.