A Petition for the Memory of "Henry" and his grieving family/owners who were attacked by dogs and the other victims of prior attacks.

COME TO THE BENSENVILLE VILLAGE MEETING TUES JULY 16th, 6:30PM TO HEAR DISCUSSION.

Court date:  JULY 23rd, 2013 - 8:30AM 

Court location:  Addison Township Courthouse, Lake St, Addison IL

Number of prior incidents:  pending.  Please check back.

Tuesday June 18th 2013 around 7:30pm - I witnessed a young father walk down the Green St sidewalk with his two young elementary school aged daughters and their 13 year 10lb dog, Henry, only a few houses away from their home. A resident of a home they just passed opens the front door and comes to a stand in the front yard with two pit bull dogs, both unleashed. Seeing the dogs were free I immediately grabbed up my five month pup. The two pit bulls spied the family and instantly bolted toward them to their complete unawares.  A distraught father immediately moving to guard his young screaming girls and protect them from the dogs still attempted to stop a most vicious attack on Henry.  The outcome was disastrous for Henry, suffering, he died there shortly after. A visibly shaken father had but one blessing that his children were physically unscathed, yet their emotional turmoil of the terrifying experience will never go away for them, or for those of us who saw it.

Neighbors responded quickly to this horrible incident and as police interviewed people it quickly came to light the number of times dogs from this residence have attacked persons and dogs in the neighborhood. Victims have gone to court only, as they stated, to endure the owner(s?) guilty plea and payment of a fine, rendering them without a chance to be heard.  In ensuing conversations were the number of supposed court appearances all relating to similar incidents with the same household of dogs; expressed to be 25 times (please take note this number is in the process of being confirmed or disproven).  However, two different neighbors both stated to being in court themselves three times each.  Now this new family will be going to court.

Other conversations among the neighbors revealed that there have been as many as eight dogs from a litter they bred.  Just recently there were five dogs known of, which two were finally removed by DuPage Animal Control, bringing them down to the allowed village limit of three dogs. 

Our neighborhood has evolved and is once again loaded with new young families; lot of kids all ages, and many many dogs, all walking, biking, etc. down our sidewalks.  It is a direct road to town at one end where weekly summer evening concerts take place, and a school at the other, with multiple parks around the block.  Will it take the travesty of a lone child with their dog entangled in an attack with the same outcome of Henry before this all ends?  Please help our neighbors who were victims and those who still can be.

Just by the number of dogs in our neighborhood, it is safe to say, we are dog-loving people and would not wish harm to any dog.  As pet owners we are all responsible to keep control of our animals and owner(s) incapable of maintaining sufficient control to prevent circumstances such as this happening, be it willful, or through negligence, disregard, and/or ignorance, should not be allowed to just keep paying a fine and return home with the dogs; and why are these dogs being returned home after repeated offenses to continue to do it all over again?

The hope of this petition, with your support by signing it, is that it will warrant authorities to re-address the issues that have happened and continue to occur.  In addition to signing this petition, we are asking that when Henry's court date arrives, that you as a member of our neighborhood, graciously offer your presence alongside Henry's family in court to help take a stand and with a larger number of voices we may finally be heard.  We have had enough.  There can be no more attacks on our families and our loved ones.  Trepidation or even fear should not exist for those walking down the street, as well as neighbors playing or working in their own yards.

Thank you for your consideration.

In Memory of Henry and those before him.

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