Botts lives on Wildwood Drive.
The dog’s owner, James Cronan of Bramley Drive S.E. has been cited by the Animal Control Division of the Cleveland Police Department for violation of the rabies law and allowing a dog to run at large.
An Animal Control report said the horse “was injured badly and had to be put down,” or humanely put to death.
The horse, named Shelby, was a racking horse owned by Botts for many years. While distressed about his own animal, the horse’s owner stated he does not believe the dog’s owner had any malicious intent.
John Bivens of the Animal Control Division said the pit bull dog involved in the incident has been confined to the Cleveland Animal Shelter for 10 days to determine if it is rabid. The dog then will be put down with the owner’s agreement.
In his investigation, Bivens determined the dog had managed to penetrate the fence that confined the horse. Pit bulls, he pointed out, can exert “a tremendous amount of force when they bite.”
However, Bivens added that pit bulls “want to be a part of people’s lives” and can make excellent pets. Bivens says he owns a pit bull and two other dogs, a Jack Russell terrier and a Chihuahua.
“They are friends,” he commented.
Nevertheless, the officer said, dogs in the county are required to be confined to their property by a fence, invisible electric fence, a chain or trained to stay on their property. Within the Cleveland city limits, leashes are required for dogs.
The animal control officer reported Cronan was “amazed” at what happened to the horse.
Cronan and his family, Bivens added, have owned the pit bull for approximately three years in the presence of children and other dogs, without incident.
