Local News

Pit bull that attacked SPD officer allowed to return home with strict stipulations for his care

Chaos, a pit bull that attacked a Shelbyville police officer on Aug. 8, will be returned to his owner, Jennifer Mays, with stipulations as to his care and to the public’s safety.

A Board of Works and Public Safety special meeting was held Friday afternoon to determine the fate of Chaos, who has resided at the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter since the early August incident at Sunset Park in Shelbyville.

After 90 minutes of discussion, the meeting was continued to Tuesday morning so that living conditions could be assessed at Mays’ current residence.

Shelbyville mayor Tom DeBaun, one of three members of the Board of Works, asked Mays several pointed questions Tuesday that he was not able to ask Friday because he had a prior commitment and could not attend the hearing.

DeBaun was concerned that the approximately 8-year-old medium-sized pit bull would have a stable living environment. Mays and her boyfriend are currently living with her mother at 305 Wellington Boulevard.

Mays was homeless and living in a tent in Sunset Park at the time police officer Curt Schuman arrived for a wellness check. Chaos was not on a leash and rushed out of a tent and bit Schuman’s hand, which required medical treatment and time off work.

DeBaun pressed Mays about her relationship with her mother and a criminal case pending in Hancock County. Mays stressed that if she was incarcerated, she has friends and family members that will care for Chaos.

To complicate matters, the Wellington Boulevard residence is a rental property. DeBaun contacted the property owner, Elaine Jevtic, who stated she did not want the dog at that property.

The Board of Works, which also consists of David Finkel and Bob Williams, was tasked with deeming the dog “vicious.” That made the task difficult, according to DeBaun after the meeting.

Williams stated that his most recent visit with Chaos at the animal shelter did not go well. Finkel and DeBaun remarked that their most recent visits demonstrated Chaos was much more relaxed and comfortable around people.

“I visited Chaos yesterday and played with him in the exercise area,” said DeBaun. “I noticed yesterday a remarkably different animal.”

Chaos is approaching 60 days at the animal shelter.

“He is not the dog he was 50-plus days ago,” said Finkel. “He is not friendly but he is not vicious.”

Williams made a motion to not relinquish the dog back to Mays but a second vote was not heard.

Finkel then made a motion to return Chaos to Mays with stipulations that he get properly vaccinated, any animal shelter fees be paid, and his living situation be monitored by animal shelter officials.

DeBaun seconded the motion. Williams still voted no.

Animal shelter director Keith Barrett said frequent visits with Chaos would be planned. DeBaun asked if Mays’ attorney, Warren Good, would draw up an affidavit to be signed that if Mays was no longer the primary caregiver for Chaos, the dog would be relinquished to the animal shelter.

“From a safety standpoint, we cannot let this happen again,” said Finkel. “We don’t ever want to see Chaos again.”

DeBaun closed by asking Mays to clean up the Wellington Boulevard residence from debris gathering on the property. While a complaint had not yet been filed, the property was headed in that direction.

In other Board of Works business Tuesday morning, three bids were opened for a road-widening project and utility work along County Road 300 North. All three came in around $500,000 under the city engineer’s estimate of $2,130,000.

The bids were taken under advisement and the project will be awarded at a later date.

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