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Wednesday, October 21, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
off-leash dog:
Owner was cited
for dog-at-large
Continued from page 1
“Kari and I headed in the
opposite direction hoping the
dog wouldn’t see us,” Reitan
said. “Less than one minute
and bang, the dog was right
behind us and grabbed a hold
of Kari’s tail. The next thing I
knew the dog was in my face
and I was on the ground and
in pain, it happened that fast.
The dog didn’t seem aggres-
sive; he just wasn’t under
anyone’s control.”
While bites and maulings
are the most common form
of injuries caused by dogs,
there are additional accidents
responsible for thousands
of injuries each year in the
United States. They include
knock-downs, tripping and
falling over dogs, and even
head-butts. In an excitable
state, a dog can jump up on
you and knock you down.
Non-aggressive dogs some-
times unintentionally trip or
knock people down, resulting
in injuries.
“I yelled for the man and
woman to come over,” Reitan
said. “When they did I asked
them to go over to my neigh-
bor Robert Kempvanee’s
house nearby, because he
is a retired fire chief and a
friend of mine. The man and
woman didn’t seem to know
what to do, but they did grab
the collar of the dog and walk
off. Then a woman in a van
came by and asked if I needed
help and she went and to get
Robert or somebody did. It’s
hard to be sure since so many
nice people stopped and asked
if they could help.
“When Robert came to
help me, he took Kari home,
who was really shook up, and
he decided to take me to the
emergency room in my small
car because I couldn’t get up
and it was easier to get me
into a smaller vehicle, rather
than his truck.”
Non-aggressive dog acci-
dents are responsible for
thousand of trips each year to
emergency rooms around the
country.
“The hospital directed
us to the orthopedic center,
and I was seen by Michael
Caravelli, MD, an orthopedic
surgeon. After an X-ray, the
surgeon told me that it didn’t
look good, that the fall had
forced the femur down into
my knee and onto the plateau
of the tibia, and they would
have to do surgery. It was
Thursday, and I stayed in the
hospital and had surgery on
Saturday.
“My neighbor and friend
Pat Rinehart and her partner,
Wanda, took care of Kari
while I was in the hospital.
I contacted the Deschutes
County Sheriff’s office about
the incident and a sheriff actu-
ally came to the hospital so I
could fill out a report.”
Deschutes County has
an “at-large” ordinance.
According to Deschutes
County Animal Control,
County Code 6.08.15 defines
“at-large” to mean a dog
or other animal found off
the premise of the owner or
keeper while the dog or ani-
mal is not under the complete
control of a capable person.
This would allow for dogs
which are trained to be off the
empty bowls:
Traditional FAN
fundraiser is back
Continued from page 3
photo by Jodi Schneider McNamee
Kari was on her leash when another dog approached her, causing a wreck
that left her owner hurt.
leash, however would require
them to be under the complete
control of the handler.
Failing to control a dog
is an act of negligence, even
before the dog causes an
injury.
The accident has Reitan
laid up.
“The surgery turned out
good as far as we know right
now. I return in four week to
see my orthopedic surgeon for
a radiograph to see how it’s
mending,” Reitan said. “The
entire healing process is 11
weeks, and that’s just for me
to be able to put weight on my
knee.”
The Deschutes County
Sheriff ’s Office cited the
woman who was the care-
taker of the young man who
was present at the time of the
incident. The owner was not
present.
Reitan appreciates all
the help she has received in
coping with an unexpected
injury.
“I’ve been so lucky all
through this because of the
Tollgate community effort,”
Reitan said. “My friends and
neighbors have been help-
ing me. My neighbors Tom
and Barb Harris have been
taking care of me and walk-
ing Kari every day. My good
friend Robert and his wife
Janie have helped so much,
too. They cook and clean for
me and take good care of Kari
while I’m off my knee. My
grown kids have been here
helping also. My daughter
from Tucson, Arizona, Kristi
came and helped for nine
days. And my son, Shannon
and his wife Gaia from Idaho
came for a few days to help
also.”
It’s a lot of effort and a lot
of disruption — all caused by
a moment of inattentiveness
that left a dog out of control.
Retired Sisters High
School (SHS) teacher Mike
Baynes launched Empty
Bowls at SHS in 2003. Now
Sisters High School art
teacher Bethany Gunnarson
is bringing the fundraiser
back — and is busy with her
students creating the bowls
for the fundraiser.
Culinary arts students are
assisting with the event along
with students and volunteers
from the leadership class.
Doors will open at 5:30
p.m. Participants pick out a
ceramic bowl for $10, $15,
or $20. For those wanting
soup only, $5 will provide
you a bowl of soup in a caf-
eteria bowl. There will be 180
bowls to choose from (no pre-
ticket sales), first come, first
served. At dinnertime volun-
teers will fill your bowl with
a delicious soup (chicken
noodle or potato), along with
bread, cookies and lemonade.
The empty bowl is yours to
take home.
All proceeds will ben-
efit Sisters Family Access
Network programs which
provide social services to
local families. Last year,
Sisters FAN served 819
clients.
For more information
call the Sisters FAN office
541-549-0155.
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