posted September 4, 2008
Lookout Mountain, Tn., Police Chief Randy Bowden said a National Park Service ranger was justified in shooting and killing a pit bull in front of the gate at Point Park.
Chief Bowden said the dog had gotten out of a nearby yard and was frightening a group of tourists before charging at Ranger John Housch.
Owner John Ford disagreed. He said, "This was completely unnecessary. I think the ranger just had it in for that dog. I think it was an ugly trick."
Mr. Ford said "Baby" was "excitable and would jump on people, but he had never bitten anyone."
He said he walked the dog on a leash every night for those five years.
Mr. Ford said he was sleeping when the incident happened in the late morning.
He said he does not know how the dog was able to get out of his yard.
He said, "A police officer came and told me my dog had been killed. The officer said he had jumped up on a little girl."
Mr. Ford said the dog was able to run back into his yard after he was shot, then he fell dead in the yard. He said he took the dead dog to an animal hospital to be incinerated.
Chief Bowden said he considered "Baby" to be "a mean dog who showed aggression."
He said the dog was listed as a "vicious dog" under the town's vicious dog ordinance.
The chief said Mr. Ford had mainly complied with the requirements under the ordinance, including keeping the dog confined in a specified area and getting $500,000 worth of insurance.
He said he had failed to muzzle the dog as required when he took him on the walks.
Chief Bowden said Mr. Ford kept unusual hours and would walk "Baby" at 1 or 2 in the morning, while sleeping during the day.
He said, "We had a time getting him awake after the dog was shot, and it was almost noon."
Todd Roeder, chief ranger for Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, said the dog was charging Ranger Housch and he was backing up when he fired.
He said the dog was a few feet from the ranger when it was shot, and the ranger was in fear he was going to be bitten by the dog.
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