Two pit bulls allegedly escaped multiple times from this fenced yard at 129 E. Paint St. in Washington Court House.
Photo by Gail Allen
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — The owner of two pit bulls was in Washington Municipal Court Wednesday on two charges of “Dog at Large” citations issued by the Fayette County Dog Warden.
At the arraignment, Brandy L. Cobb pleaded not guilty to having two pit bulls running loose in the city, and not being contained properly on her residential property at 129 E. Paint St. The citations were issued by Dog Warden Nelson Prater on Oct. 26. Similar citations were issued by the dog warden for both dogs on Oct. 2 for the same offense.
Cobb was in court on Oct. 11 for the Oct. 2 offense and was given a $250 fine and court costs on each count — $175 of each fine was suspended upon no similar offenses within two years. According to Acting Judge David Kiger, the dogs have now been deemed vicious animals by the dog warden due to the many cats that have been killed while the dogs roamed the streets.
As a condition of Cobb’s $250 bond on each of the two charges Wednesday, the judge ordered the dogs removed from her residence by the dog warden for public safety, to be housed at the dog shelter pending the outcome of a trial. The judge stated that the dogs will be in a safe, clean environment and not forfeited or euthanized pending the outcome of the final hearing.
Cobb was warned by the judge that the $175 suspended charge on each citation from Oct. 2 could possibly be reinstated at trial, pending the outcome. According to court records, the citations issued on Oct. 26 follow 10 prior citations that were issued for the same offense since June 19, 2019.
After the arraignment Wednesday, Prater received a copy of the court order and was accompanied by probation officer Gene Ivers as they went to pick up the dogs from the residence to be transported to the dog shelter. The dogs were transported without incident, according to Prater.
Since there was no stipulation in the court order prohibiting visitation, on Thursday afternoon Cobb was seen at the shelter in an enclosed pen outside the building on a supervised visitation with her two dogs.
Local resident Tim Leasure said his grandchild was traumatized after witnessing these dogs kill a cat. Leasure said he visited the owner of the rental house where the dogs reside, and Dale R. Ford, the homeowner, was aware the dogs were there, but unaware of the many citations or the vicious dog designation by the dog warden.
