Winston, the bulldog who attacked a city police patrol car over the weekend, will have to wait another week to know his fate.

City Councilman Peter Murphy on Wednesday morning sought to intervene and get the case moved up to this Thursday in City Court.

However, City Judge Sherry Paty said it turned out that some of the parties, including the staff of the McKamey Center, would not be ready.

The case in which the McKamey Center is seeking to have Winston declared a potentially dangerous dog will remain on the docket for Thursday, March 25, at 9 a.m.

Councilman Murphy said he had been acting in behalf of some constituents who own Winston.

The attorney said one section of the city ordinance says that a dog that is held at the center can be transferred to a veterinarian at the owner's expense. He said since that was not going to be allowed, the next best thing was moving the case up a week.

Meanwhile, owner Nancy Emerling said she is still a fan of Winston, but she said she cannot afford the responsibility of keeping him on the grounds of her welding firm on Workman Road after he "went off."

She said she has found someone who wants Winston and who has a large farm outside the city of Chattanooga.

Ms. Emerling said Winston came to the business as a stray puppy. She said he had never shown any aggressive tendencies before.

She said several people have told her that since the officer was running radar that the high-pitch from the machine may have set Winston off and made him charge through a gate, munch the tires of the patrol car and eat the front bumper.

Officers were unable to settle down Winston despite trying to gas and taser him.

Ms. Emerling said when her son arrived at the business, he found Winston back inside his pen cowering under a table.

Judge Paty said if a dog is declared potentially dangerous, then the owner must agree to a number of restrictions involving the dog if the owner plans to keep it.

She said if there are more problems with a dog who is declared potentially dangerous, then the dog can be ordered to be put down for the safety of people and other animals.

Judge Paty said there had been no formal request to move Winston to a vet, and she said she was not advised that he was in need of any treatment.

She said in light of the highly publicized incident of aggression that it was best to keep Winston in confinement at the McKamey Center until the hearing.