The Riverside City Council is satisfied, for now, with the progress made by Dennis and Diana Schultz in securing their pit bull puppy from escaping the house.
“The fence is complete,” …
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The Riverside City Council is satisfied, for now, with the progress made by Dennis and Diana Schultz in securing their pit bull puppy from escaping the house.
“The fence is complete,” Dennis Schultz told the council Monday night. “I never thought I would be digging fence holes in Iowa on Christmas Day.”
He added: “Since we put the fence up, we got rid of a lot of problems.”
Schultz is adding bricks where there are gaps between the fence and the ground.
City Administrator Christine Yancey confirmed Schultz’s report.
“I went out today, and it looks like the fence is up,” she said.
The council took no action. Mayor Allen Schneider summarized the council’s opinion.
“We want to make sure the fence is sound, that there’s not any risk with the dog getting out accidentally,” Schneider said.
“We’ll monitor the situation,” Schneider said. “If we hear it’s running loose, we’ll take additional action.”
Neighbors had come to an October City Council meeting to complain about the dog, which reportedly killed a neighborhood kitten one time when it was out.
The Schultzes live on Schnoebelen Street near the Highland Elementary School. Neighbors and council members have voiced concern that if the dog gets loose, it could attack a child.
After hearing from the neighbors, the council ordered that the Schultzes provide documentation that the dog is up to date on shots, that a local veterinarian evaluate the dog and that the backyard be enclosed with a fence.
In December, the council reviewed a behavioral assessment of the dog, which stated the dog “is under-socialized (and past the window of socialization). He is under-exercised both mentally and physically.”
Monday Schultz said that the dog’s behavior is improving and he is responding “so much better to commands.”
Still, he said the dog is there to protect the house.
“I don’t want him to be everybody’s friend,” Schultz said. “He is there for a purpose.”
He added that the dog is not trained to be aggressive.
“I will not train him to be aggressive,” he said.
One recommendation from the evaluation was for the dog to have formal training, something Schultz said the family cannot afford.
“The problem with that is it costs about $1,400 to do that,” he said. “If you remember correctly, finances are real high in my household.”
