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Hillsboro police become critter wranglers

Staff writer

Hillsboro police did an unprecedented amount of critter wrangling in the last week.

The worst animal encounter officers had was Sunday when a huge bullmastiff bit a 17-year-old.

Assistant Police Chief Randy Brazil said the dog broke off its cable, ran out of its yard, and bit the teen on his right torso. The bite broke the skin but didn’t cause serious damage, Brazil said.

The dog’s owner was cited for having an unregistered and an unvaccinated dog, and given a notice to appear in court for harboring a vicious dog. The owner must appear in municipal court July 2.

“Once it goes to court, the judge will decide if it’s vicious,” Brazil said. “We notified the Marion County Health Department. We have to quarantine the dog for 10 days.”

If the dog is deemed free of rabies, the teen who was bitten won’t need treatment.

On Thursday, officer Duane McCarty took a call about an armadillo on someone’s lawn near Pizza Hut.

McCarty advised the caller to contact city hall to see whether someone could live trap the animal.

“We have a trapper in town now that will trap small varmints,” Brazil said.

Brazil has himself had armadillos in his yard — though he denied having dumped the armadillo near Pizza Hut.

“I sprinkle cayenne pepper on the yard,” Brazil said. “They don’t like it.”

The armadillo near Pizza Hut meandered away, looking for a different home ,after the property owner plugged up a hole it had burrowed in the ground, McCarty said.

McCarty also was involved with an animal encounter of the reptile kind May 29.

He had to help free a large snapping turtle stuck underneath a fence at Memorial Park Pond.

McCarty said he pushed the snapping turtle, larger than a basketball, with his foot to release it from under the fence.

McCarty still has all his toes.

Last modified June 5, 2024

 

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