Dog Bite Problem Brought to City Council

Three ladies were in attendance at the Monday night City Council meeting on January 6 to complain about two pit bull dogs on 15th Avenue. One lady acting as a spokesperson said she jogs early every morning down 15th and had been attacked, but not bitten by the dogs. Then she discovered Crystal Wade, who lives two doors down from the house the dogs came from had been attacked and bitten. Crystal was on her daughter’s front porch (next door to the house below) to tell her and her kids to stay inside because of the dogs. She saw the dogs coming toward her so she bent over to protect her unborn child. One of the dogs bit her on the face. Her daughter’s boyfriend came out and he was bitten. Crystal had to have 27 stitches to her face as seen in the photo below. The dog was apprehended and is presently being held in Double Springs. The other dog has not been found, nor the owner of the dogs. 

The house on 15th Avenue, where the two pit bull dogs allegedly were kept but not restrained.

The question was asked about a leash ordinance. Haleyville does have one and it has been on the books for years. It basically says that any dog inside the city limits and police jurisdiction has to be kept on the property of the owner either by a fence or a leash. They cannot roam free.

This has been a recurring problem for many years because many feel they do not need to restrain their dogs. For animal control, Haleyville uses the services of a couple who live in Winfield. As one police officer stated, they don’t come out at night and don’t always come when called because they cover both Winston and Marion Counties and by the time they do, the dogs are no longer where they were reported to be.

Another question was why can’t the Halevyille police do something about all the dogs roaming the city.  Police officers are not animal control officers and do not have the equipment to trap or control any animal.

The procedure if you experience a problem with dogs in Haleyville is to call the Police dispatcher at 205-486-5201. The dispatcher will, in turn, contact the animal control officers to hopefully resolve the problem.

In other business, the Council is still considering the purchase of a new fire truck for the city. Acting Fire Chief Terrell Baccus presented updated info on the pricing and availability of a new truck.

The next scheduled Haleyville City Council meeting will be Tuesday, January 21, because of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20.