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Vicious' Dog Put Down After Second Bite to Grandson

Owner Kills Dog Fails to Report Second Bite
Des Moines, IA - A woman who appealed to the Des Moines City Council that her dog was not vicious had the animal killed this month after it bit her grandson a second time.


On March 9, Christy Wilkins-Hartmann's Samoyed, Misha, caused a large gash on the upper lip of Ian Wilkins, 7. Part of the lip had to be reattached. The animal was declared vicious in late 2006. Police said Hartmann took the dog to an animal clinic and had it killed almost immediately after the bite, but did not report the incident to animal control officers.'

Police officers were able to recover the dog's remains at the animal clinic and test for rabies. Test results were negative. Hartmann was ticketed for failure to report a dog bite, failure to maintain proper insurance on a vicious dog, failure to have a current rabies vaccination and failure to have a current dog license.

Raudabaugh said Misha also bit Ian on the lip in December 2005. The dog bit Uriel Chavez, then 5, on the side of his face in September 2006. Misha was declared a vicious dog in an Oct. 2, 2006, letter to Hartmann from Raudabaugh. The declaration required the animal to be licensed as vicious or removed from the city. Wilkins-Hartmann appealed.

An administrative hearing was held on Oct. 6, 2006, and the declaration was upheld by a hearing officer. Hartmann then appealed to the Des Moines City Council, which voted 5-1 in November 2006 to uphold the decision. Officials said Hartmann then licensed Misha and obtained insurance, but the canine liability policy expired in November and was only good for a previous address.