On Monday, November 19, following a special hearing requested by a dog owner, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board officially determined a dog to be vicious. The dog, a pit bull mix, was involved in an October 17 incident in which a seven year-old boy was bitten on the face and neck. The boy, who was transported to children's hospital for treatment, received approximately two-dozen stitches and will likely need reconstructive facial surgery.

The boy was being cared for at the home of a family friend when the incident occurred. The dog's owner, Claude Jensen, was in another room preparing dinner when the dog bit the seven-year old on the face and neck in what was described as an unprovoked attack. An officer investigating the incident was told that the boy and two others had just walked into the house when the dog jumped on the boy, knocked him to the ground, and bit him. Jensen requested the hearing to present proof that the dog was not vicious. Ultimately, however, the board decided otherwise. The decision to declare the dog as vicious was made based on the findings that: this was an unprovoked attack on a seven year-old child; the resulting injuries are very severe; the child had injuries to his cheek, nose, lower lip and neck; and the dog's rabies vaccination was expired at the time of the incident by nearly one year. The dog was not licensed in the Village of Pleasant Prairie.

In response to the determination, the dog owner must now comply with stringent requirements relating to fencing, supervision of the dog, vaccinations, insurance and licensing meant to protect the public from future incidents with the dog."It's my obligation as Interim Police Chief to take the actions necessary to protect this community,"explained Interim Police Chief Dave Mogensen. "While there is no way to reverse what has already occurred, this determination can help prevent a similar situation, with this dog, from happening again."