Article published April 25, 2008
Kindness helps woman reunite with her dog
Andrea Coleman, right, and her sister, Eleanor Dixon, head home from the pound with Momba, a 9-month-old Rottweiler.
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THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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By LAREN WEBER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Late yesterday morning, Andrea Coleman heard an unexpected knock on her door.
A woman - whom she had never met before - was standing on her porch in North Toledo, offering to help pay to get her Rottweiler, Momba, out of the pound.
The 9-month-old dog was confiscated Monday by a Lucas County deputy dog warden because it was unlicensed and loose.
The woman handed Ms. Coleman $90 and left.
"She said, 'Go get your puppy,'•" Ms. Coleman said.
A few minutes later, there was another knock from a second woman who also wanted to help. Several people also called The Blade yesterday asking how they could assist Ms. Coleman in getting her dog back.Still grieving from the loss of her boxer, Capone, who was fatally shot by Toledo police Officer Mike Murphy in the driveway of 3323 Mulberry St. on Monday, Ms. Coleman said she was overwhelmed by the support she has received.
"I wanted to cry," she said. "I've never experienced so much support."
Police went to the Mulberry address about 4:25 p.m. in response to a roaming-dog complaint from a resident there who reported the dog as "possibly vicious."
Officer Murphy shot Capone three times after the dog charged the officer, "barking and acting in a vicious manner," according to an incident report. Momba was taken from the scene after the shooting.
Dr. Gary Thompson, a veterinarian at the West Suburban Animal Clinic in Sylvania, said boxers aren't any more dangerous than other breeds.
"It is generally a wonderful breed and has very little history of any problems," Dr. Thompson said, adding boxers are often bred as hunting dogs.
Both of Ms. Coleman's dogs were kept inside her home throughout the winter and she said they were not vicious animals.
After Capone's shooting, Ms. Coleman said she didn't have the money needed to spring Momba from the pound. But with the anonymous gift, she and her sister, Eleanor Dixon, headed to the dog warden's office yesterday afternoon.
Tom Skeldon, the county dog warden, agreed to drop the fines and the running-at-large violation if Ms. Coleman purchased a $25 dog license and paid a $25 fine, required by state law, for not previously licensing her dog.
"I feel sorry for her," Mr. Skeldon said.
When police receive dog complaints, Mr. Skeldon said someone from his office initially responds. But if the complaint is made after the warden's closes at 4 p.m., police respond, he said.
About 3 p.m. yesterday, an anxious Ms. Coleman was taken inside the kennel to identify her dog, a standard procedure used by the dog warden's office when people come to pick up their animal.
As she walked through several rows of cages, Momba stood silent in a cage at the back of the room - until he saw his owner.
Then, he started barking and jumping around.
"[Are] you ready to go home?" Ms. Coleman asked Momba, bending down to his level. "He's so ready. Momba has never barked so much in his life."
After getting the license and paying the fine, Ms. Coleman and her sister left the dog warden's office, loaded Momba into their car, and headed home.
Ms. Coleman said they could not be happier.
"I really thought I was going to lose my dog," she said.
The shooting involving Capone will be reviewed by police commanders and submitted to the Firearms Review Board.
The police department's manual states that officers may use a firearm to destroy "a dangerous animal that poses an immediate threat to the officer," and also "a seriously injured animal where humanity requires its relief from further suffering."
Although all patrol officers carry Tasers, Chief Mike Navarre said it likely would have been ineffective against a charging dog. He was unsure if Officer Murphy had his Taser on Monday.
For a Taser to work, Chief Navarre said both probes have to strike the target.
"Shooting a dog with a Taser is very impractical," he said. "You would have to be an expert shot and still have a lot of luck to be able to hit the front of the dog."
The chief did not know how many dogs are fatally shot by Toledo police officers each year.
Officer Murphy was reviewed last year for firing his service weapon and striking a man twice during an incident at 727 North Michigan St. in November, 2006.
According to police, Charles Johnson of West Toledo refused to show police his hands and then displayed a handgun off to his side. He was shot when he pointed the gun at Officer Murphy, who had ordered him to drop the weapon.
The Firearms Review Board unanimously decided Officer Murphy was justified in shooting the man, police said.
Staff writer Alex M. Parker contributed to this report.
Contact Laren Weber at:
lweber@theblade.com
or 419-724-6050.
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