One of two women bitten by a DuPage County sheriff's tracking dog last week said she doesn't feel safe with the dog still living in her West Chicago neighborhood.
"I understand the value of the dog," said Kim Perri. "I'm not out for money. I just want the dog relocated to somewhere where it's not so populated."
Sheriff's department officials said the dog will not be moved or removed from duty, but several precautions have been taken to ensure the dog, a 4-year-old bloodhound named Hunter, cannot escape from his handler's home again.
Hunter and two non-police dogs escaped through the deputy's fence Wednesday night.
A spokeswoman for Sheriff John Zaruba said the unidentified deputy in charge of Hunter had the fence repaired and reinforced.
The dog will be kept in a chain-link pen when outside and monitored by the owner when in the back yard.
The department will also keep Hunter out of public demonstrations.
"Do we feel it's a fluke and it won't happen again? Yes," said Carol Roegner, the sheriff's spokeswoman.
The dog is under a 10-day quarantine at his handler's home. DuPage County Animal Control wardens said that's standard procedure with these types of dog bites.
The animal's vaccinations are current, Roegner said.
Perri said she suffered minor cuts and abrasions to her chest where she was bitten but did not require medical treatment.
"I'm sure he was going for my neck," she said. "I put my arm up to prevent that."
The other unidentified woman did suffer a bite to her neck, Perri said.
Perri and a neighbor were out for a walk around their neighborhood along Fieldcrest Drive about 8:30 p.m. May 19 when they spotted a German shepherd in the middle of the street, she said. It was one of the deputy's two pets that escaped with the police dog.
The shepherd approached the two, sniffed them and walked away, Perri said. On their second lap, all three dogs were in the middle of the street. This time Hunter walked up to them, sprang at her, bit her and then walked away, she said.
The pair were on their way to report the biting to the sheriff's deputy when they spotted a woman jogging in the direction the dogs had fled and told her not to go that way.
When the women told Hunter's handler about the loose dogs, the deputy called his dogs. Hunter then leapt at the jogger and nipped her neck, Perri said. The woman suffered no serious injuries.
West Chicago police were called, but no charges were filed. Police officials said the incident was turned over to animal control officials.
Perri said Hunter never barked, growled or charged before biting her, she said.
Russell Hess, executive director of the Ohio-based U.S. Police Canine Association, said Hunter likely was just playing and became overstimulated among the other dogs.
"I would venture to say the dogs were out having fun, not out to hurt someone," he said.
He said bloodhounds are trained as trackers and don't receive the attack training other police dogs get.
Nonetheless, Perri said her 6-year-old daughter is now frightened to go by the deputy's home, and Perri worries something worse will happen if the dog gets loose again.
"If this should occur again, it's kind of on my shoulders now," she said. "I really wanted the dog removed from the neighborhood."
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