The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 15, 2008

Police shoot, kill menacing dog in Masury

By Patrick W. Connelly

MASURY — Police shot and killed a pit bull Monday outside a Masury home after patrolmen were unable to safely corral the animal, they said.

A neighbor reported the dog was acting wildly near a home at 698 Gaylord Ave., police said. When Patrolmen Aaron Kasiewicz and Charles Pickard Jr. arrived, the dog was growling and showing its teeth, they said.

As the patrolmen stepped away from the dog, it continued to inch closer to them, they said.

Police left a voice message on its owner�s cell phone and called the Trumbull County dog warden for assistance, but he was unavailable due to an injury, they said.

While they were making the calls, the dog charged several times and tried to bite at a catch pole used by the patrolmen, they said.

Pickard said he tried using a handful of dog treats to calm the dog, but was unsuccessful. The dog also continued to charge at him after being electronically shocked, he said.

The dog then walked to the home�s backyard into a kennel, Pickard said. As he tried to get closer to the kennel to lock the dog inside, it turned and started to charge at him.

Pickard said he yelled several times at the dog to stop and get back before firing at the dog with his gun.

The dog seemed even more agitated and Kasiewicz shot it a second time as it came near him, he said.

Trumbull County Animal Welfare said no testing was needed on the dog and it was taken to the police station until its owner, Shawn Allen Rainey, was contacted.

Rainey was charged with failing to restrain a vicious dog and for having police euthanize it.

He was adamant the dog couldn�t have been so uncontrollable and believed police were lying, they said. Rainey is set to appear Thursday in Eastern District Court, Brookfield, police Chief Dan Faustino said.

In his 18 years in Brookfield, Faustino said, this is only the second time he recalls a dog being so unruly it had to be shot.

�It�s nothing that you want to do,� he said. �We�ll try everything else prior.�

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