A Columbus man will be summoned by police to appear in municipal court for allegedly allowing his dogs to roam unleashed on 10th Street North.
Brian Wigley, of 812 10th St. N. Apt. 4, is charged with dog at large, a violation of Columbus” leash law, after his two boxers confronted Raven Foy, 22, of 805 10th St. N. in VIP Apartments, Thursday night.
Foy pressed charges Monday, accusing Wigley of allowing his dogs to roam unleashed and unsupervised after she says the dogs accosted her as she retrieved items from her car, which was parked on 10th Street in front of Wigley”s apartment building.
Officer Donnie Elkin said charges were not pressed Friday because the CPD court division is closed on Fridays and warrants are only issued for major offenses.
Foy, a Mississippi University for Women student from Emelle, Ala., claims the dogs growled and barked at her and jumped into her, but did not bite her.
“I was terrified for my life. I really thought it was going to be over with. My (fiancee) was upstairs. He heard me calling and got the dogs off me,” said Foy.
Aaron Walls, Foy”s fiancee, says he came downstairs to find Foy backed against a car with the dogs facing her and growling. He says he stomped his foot to draw their attention and drove the dogs away. It was at that point Wigley appeared in his front yard and called the dogs.
Wigley was not home Monday but was reached by cell phone for comment. He called Friday”s incident a “non-event.”
“I don”t have aggressive dogs. They”re boxers. They”re not aggressive,” said Wigley.
Jordan Smith, Wigley”s neighbor and friend who cares for the dogs while Wigley is away on business, also claims the dogs, which are less than a year old, are not aggressive.
“They”re puppies. They just love to play. They would not bite anyone,” said Smith.
Smith says the dogs are leashed when he walks them around the neighborhood but are unleashed when he takes them into the yard to relieve themselves. He says both dogs obey his voice.
Foy says she”s been confronted by the dogs before and Wigley has difficulty controlling the dogs with voice commands. She says the dogs only barked at her during the first incident, which happened months ago.
Walls and Foy spoke with Wigley and say he was uncooperative and rude. A police report filed by Officer Kenneth Brewer Friday night after Brewer spoke with Wigley said he “didn”t seem to care” about the leash ordinance.
CPD Chief Joseph St. John said the department is taking the issue seriously. Animal control officers visited Wigley”s apartment Monday after charges were filed and left a copy of the leash law when nobody answered.
“We”re going to go out there and serve the paperwork. The guy wasn”t home and we did leave the ordinance,” said St. John.
He says animal control officers will make the determination as to the aggressiveness of Wigley”s dogs.
“I know that young lady was scared. There”s no doubt about that,” said St. John.
“I think we need to spend more time on the drug use, the theft and other crime in the community before we start calling me asking about my dogs,” said Wigley.
Foy says she”s afraid to return home unaccompanied after the incident.
“I don”t even come home anymore. I go to a friend”s house. I just recently stopped crying,” she says.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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