Review Shows Reasonable Action Taken Involving Aggressive Dog

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 26, 2014

An officer with the Washington County Animal Services Division took reasonable action during an incident involving two aggressive dogs at large in a residential neighborhood in Hillsboro last month, according to an internal review outlined by the county today. The county’s final determination came after an investigation by the Hillsboro Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove that the officer’s actions were not justified.

The incident occurred after the Animal Services Division received a call on February 25, 2014, about a dog that was in the street barking at pedestrians and creating traffic issues in a residential area of Hillsboro. It was later determined that two unlicensed dogs were loose in the street and that the dogs’ owner was not home at the time.

Facts about the incident were consistent in both the county’s review and the law enforcement investigation. Upon arriving at the location of the complaint, Animal Services Officer Hoyt Stepp observed a dog at large and showing signs of aggression. As he was attempting to identify the dog’s owner, Stepp observed a second dog join the first dog. Both animals then charged at Stepp while he stood in the street. Stepp responded by commanding them to “go home” and stepping backward while creating a barrier between himself and the two advancing dogs using animal apprehension and defensive tools he was holding at the time. When the dogs continued to advance, Stepp struck one of the dogs once to avoid being bitten.

One dog retreated into the back of the home. The other dog retreated to the driveway where she continued to display aggressive behavior. Stepp alerted children disembarking from two nearby school buses and put himself between them and the aggressive dog as they went to their homes. Animal Services Supervisor Randy Covey then arrived and joined Stepp in attempting to locate the dog that had been struck in order to render aid and to ensure that the dogs were secured in their yard. The officers determined that the dog may have returned into its home, possibly through a dog-door. With no one at this residence, the two animal services officers secured the scene and left a note on the door alerting the occupants that one of their dogs may have been injured and to contact Animal Services.

“We have taken this incident very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all of the available information,” said Animal Services Division Manager Deborah Wood. “We looked long and hard to see if there was any training or judgment problem and whether the incident could have been handled differently,” added Wood. “After a great deal of review and reflection, I am convinced that the responding officer followed a reasonable course of action given the specific circumstances.”

The Washington County Animal Services Division has six animal services officers who were dispatched to 6,411 calls in 2013. Of these calls, 2,511 were for dogs that were stray including 540 for dogs that were termed “aggressive” by the person reporting the incident.

All Washington County animal services officers attend the National Animal Control Association Academy as part of their training. Additional training includes dealing with aggressive dogs, humane use of catch poles, stress-free handling, dog body language and other topics.

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