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Dog attack
Dear Editor,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
It is the beginning of our Declaration of Independence. From this all federal state and local laws are made.
From here my story starts -- while walking up to the post office in the village of Palisade, a large black dog attacked me. I was knocked to the ground with great force, and when I came to, he was on top of me. I was walking my dog; the large dog didn't seem to notice her. I kept talking to my dog in a very quiet voice to "sit and stay."
Finally, the large dog went back to his yard. Three people saw me on the ground and none of them came to my aid. I got up slowly, bruised, bloody and with a broken foot. I hobbled three blocks.
I called 911 when I arrived home and told the dispatch that I had been attacked by a dog and she gives me the dog person's name and nuimber. I called the number; he wasn't home, so I left a message. I called the sheriff,a nd he was to come out. I finally drove myself to the emergency room in McCook, spent three hours there, drove myself home, waited another couple of hours of the sheriff to arrive, no sheriff.
This was on Saturday. I called a couple of times on Sunday. Still no sheriff. Finally Monday, I talked to the sheriff personally and he said he doesn't do dog reports in Palisade because they don't cooperate with him.
I feel like I'm in a nightmare. I called the village officer and told her of the attack and the location of the dog. She said the village doesn't deal with this, and for me to call the highway patrol. I do this, and then the dog person comes to my house and tells me the village fired the sheriff. I ask, how can you "fire" the sheriff?
The highway patrol tells me that the sheriff must take a report! I call the sheriff back and he takes a report by phone. Then the village office finally calls me back and tells me the village lawyer tells me to get a lawyer. Oh yes, the village office says they don't have any local laws, only state laws, "but we don't enforce them"!
My constitutional rights have been violated. The law must protect people -- (is) the small village in western Nebraska exempt from keeping its citizens safe?
It's four weeks later, the dog is still running loose; no word that the owner has been notified. I've got a cast on my leg and (told) not to put weight on it.
I'd like to know when and where my rights are protected, that I have the freedom to walk on a public sidewalk and be safe.
Pet owners and local law officers must first keep their pets on leashes or in fenced yards and second, the law officers must enforce the law. Isn't that the oath of office? You really need to know about "how" the town protects their citizens before buying a house there.
Yours truly,
Ann Lubke,
Palisade