By Owen Reissmann for Wausau Pilot and Review

A proposal to keep miniature pigs appeared as an item on the agenda at this Monday’s Public Health and Safety meeting. However, most of the committee members reported getting a lot of negative feedback from citizens about the idea. Committee Chair Lisa Rasmussen compared the climate to the negative reception the committee received the first time chickens were proposed. The proposal was unanimously denied.

Next, the committee had a discussion on the fate of a pit bull named Dakota to be declared a dangerous animal. Owner Randy Kurth defended the dog, noting that she’d been taking Dakota to doggy daycare since December of 2017 (at four months old) and had taken a complete series of behavior classes at Basic Dog. He said that the dog had only had a single other incident, which was a minor issue involving scratching another dog who may have been bothering her.

Dakota was accused of causing the death of another dog, LillyRose. The alleged incident happened at Stay and Play, an unlicensed dog boarding daycare run out of the home of Candy Wheelock. According to Wheelock, Dakota attacked attack the dog who died and said that none of her three dogs who were present (including a Labrador and a hound who was larger, and likely 20-30 pounds heavier, than Dakota) were anywhere near the fight. However, the veterinarian recalled her saying there had been an additional dog involved in the fight and concluded that this corresponded to the wounds inflicted on LillyRose.

The committee agreed there was not sufficient evidence to suggest that Dakota was solely responsible and decided not to declare her a danger.

Another dog did end up being declared a danger, however. Mae Cantrell’s dog Raichu, despite being collared to an electric fence, was accused of coming out onto the sidewalk and biting a boy on the knee while he was walking by during trick-or-treating hours on Halloween. The dog has bitten an adolescent once before, though that boy entered the yard and approached the dog of his own accord.

Editor’s note: The Wausau Pilot and Review Documenters program is made possible through individual donations and grants from several organizations including the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin. The program aims to democratize news and information at the local level through a group of local contributors