Six large dogs that have been a constant nuisance in a neighborhood were seized by court order Wednesday afternoon on Oak Avenue across the street from the Columbia Presbyterian Church.
Columbia Police Chief Michael Kelly said the police department has been receiving weekly complaints since February 2019 about the dogs chasing kids and neighbors, going after the crossing guard, keeping the neighbors up with barking and attacking other animals in the neighborhood.
“It really just left us with no choice,” he said on scene. “It’s unfortunate and delicate, but the neighbors, the people who live in this community, the parents of those children and the crossing guard who nearly got ate up, that’s why we’re here.”
Crossing Guard Porsha Owukunle said she had to start keeping a large stick with her at all times because the dogs, which are all rather large, would come up to her every day, and she became terrified of them.
“I’ve been trying to watch (the cars) and (the dogs). I’ve had to just let traffic go and stood (across the street) because they’re big and scary,” she added.
The dogs are owned by Marilyn Griffin, who willingly surrendered four of the dogs to animal control initially and said there weren’t any more in the house. However, when the officers were going back in her home, Griffin told them there was one more dog in the house that she was fostering because its owner was out of town so they seized it also. Griffin told Animal Control Officer April Prine that was all of the dogs, but when Prine entered one of the upstairs bedrooms she discovered a sixth dog that was also seized. Prine said it looked like the sixth dog appeared to be intentionally hidden.
“They could hear the dogs barking so they knew there were more dogs in the house that she had brought out,” Kelly said.
A neighbor, who wished to stay anonymous, said the dogs constantly bark at all hours of the day and night, chase after passersby and allegedly mauled another neighborhood dog twice.
“I’ve heard stories that they jumped off the roof and chased little kids down the street,” they said.
Kelly added that it has been an ongoing situation for quite some time and that it was time for action to be taken once the seizure order was issued.
“We have a duty to help her and make sure the animals are safe and make sure the community is safe,” he said. “We invited her to the shelter where the dogs will be kept, taken care of and provided veterinary care with medicine. She can have her day in court to get them back, and I don’t care if she goes up there (to the shelter) to see the dogs and take them out back for a walk because I know that’s going to help her.”
Animal Control Officer Danielle Barber said Thursday that they remain at the shelter and appear to be well taken care of.
“One of them was kind of thin, but health wise they all seem to be in good condition for their age. They are all spayed or neutered, and they’re being taken care of,” she said. “The fact that they are spayed and neutered is a good sign they’ve been taken good care of as well.”
Barber added they all seemed to be sweet when she fed them Thursday morning and weren’t barking much at all.
A resolution was also passed during Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting for the 804 Oak Ave. home to be cleaned up and mowed.
