Owner appeals dangerous-dog finding for Marty; panel imposes one-year probation with leash, muzzle and adult supervision

Jennifer Seuss, of 57203 Pine Needle Court, told the St. Joseph County appeals panel that her dog Marty startled and bit a passerby after the man grabbed the dog’s collar during a walk.

“We definitely admit fault,” Seuss said, describing that her 8-year-old daughter had been walking Marty and that the family has since taken precautions including keeping Marty muzzled and using a shock collar.

An agency official summarized the written bite report and medical outcome: Marty inflicted puncture wounds to the victim’s left arm and left leg and received two small stitches. The official said Marty was current on his rabies vaccination at the time of the incident and that the county’s records also show a prior bite incident on April 6, 2020 involving a family member.

Panel members pressed the owners about training and precautions. Seuss said the family’s training has been informal and that Marty lives in a fenced yard and is licensed. A K-9 handler on the panel recommended avoiding blind corners, using a muzzle on walks, and scheduling walks at lower-traffic times to reduce risk.

A panel member moved to place Marty on one year of probation, requiring that when Marty is walked he be leashed, wear a muzzle and be accompanied by an adult; the motion was seconded and the panel recorded vocal “Aye” votes and approved the measure. The panel clarified that any incident during that year would prompt additional enforcement action.

The panel told the Seuss family that staff would follow up with the owners and provide written notice of the probation conditions and timeline. The hearing proceeded to call other appellants who were scheduled later on the agenda.

The panel’s action is a procedural outcome of the appeals process; it does not remove the owners’ ability to comply with the conditions or seek further review if allowed by local rules.