Kotzebue boy, 5, killed in dog mauling, police say
[email protected]September 15, 2013
A 5-year-old Kotzebue boy was found dead early Sunday after being mauled by a loose dog or dogs, the Kotzebue Police Department said.
Jordan Lee Reed had been playing in front of his family’s home on Saturday evening when he was reported missing to authorities at around 10:44 p.m., police said in a statement Sunday.
Kotzebue police, fire and search and rescue personnel searched for the boy through the night.
His body was found at 4:10 a.m. in an open field on the outskirts of Kotzebue, according to police.
“It is believed that he was killed by at least one loose dog,” police said. “The police department captured several loose dogs in the area, one of which was determined to have been involved in the mauling.”
Family members of Jordan Lee Reed reached by phone Sunday said the family had requested time to grieve in private.
Much is not yet known about the exact circumstances of the mauling. Police did not say what breed or breeds of dog killed Reed.
Kotzebue’s mayor said loose dogs have been an increasingly serious problem in the Northwest Arctic town of about 3,200.
Recently, the city council became so worried about aggressive dogs roaming the town that it tightened up an existing animal control ordinance, Mayor Nathan Kotch said in a phone interview.
Toughening the animal control ordinance was “priority No. 1” for the city council, the mayor said. People had been complaining that children weren’t safe while walking to and from school, he said.
Kotzebue has only one animal control officer, Kotch said.
“We were all dreading something like this happening. We talked about it when we passed the ordinance.”
Dogs can be seen roaming around town in groups of two or three, he said.
Some are escapees from mushers’ dog lots, he said. Others are pets whose owners aren’t watching them.
The revised ordinance, which Kotch said went into effect a couple of months ago, required people with dogs on a “vicious breeds” list to have insurance coverage for their animals. It also required such dogs to be penned in yards securely and levied stiff fines on people who failed to follow the rules.
The city tried to spread the word by putting the police chief on the radio to emphasize the importance of responsible dog ownership, Kotch said.
Kotch said he is horrified by the death and promises the city council will again take up the issue of dangerous dogs running loose.
“You can bet that’s the first thing we’re going to talk about,” he said.
Reach Michelle Theriault Boots at [email protected] or 257-4344.
Siberian Husky
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS
This is a list of dog breeds that have a history of being potentially dangerous to people, especially children. Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness understands that any dog has the ability to bite or inflict serious harm to humans. This list consists of several dog breeds that have a higher than average number of recorded human fatalities. Please use extreme caution if you choose to bring one of these breeds into your home. Rental communities and homeowners insurance may restrict many of the dog breeds on this list due to the likelihood of a serious incident. Pit Bulls, Mastiff, and Rottweiler lead in fatalities and are listed first. The rest of the breeds are listed in alphabetical order: Pit Bull Terrier Family
- American Bulldog
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- English/Standard Bull Terrier
- Miniature Bull Terrier
- Olde English Bulldog
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Mastiffs
- Bullmastiff
- Cane Corso/Italian Mastiff
- Dogo Argentino
- English Mastiff
- Fila Brasileiro
- Dogue de Bordeaux/French Mastiff
- Great Dane/German Mastiff
- Presa Canario
- St. Bernard/Alpine Mastiff
Rottweiler Akita Boxer Alaskan Malamute Chow Chow Doberman Pinscher German Shepherd Shar Pei Siberian Husky Wolf Hybrid