Couple wants to keep lion-hunting dogs

by | Oct 31, 2012 | Animal Bites |

Imagine if your neighbors owned a pair of enormous dogs, over 100 pounds each, that were originally bred to hunt lions in Africa. Then imagine these dogs were locked up after being declared “potentially dangerous” for biting several people, and one of the owners hid the animals from authorities after they were ordered to be euthanized. Finally, imagine that those neighbors want those dogs to come back home. That is the nightmare that neighbors in a New Jersey community are dealing with, and they are begging authorities not to give the dogs back.

The two African Boerbels were seized in October, 2011 after Susan and Gary Kolb were caught walking them without a muzzle. The local prosecutor wants the dogs to be moved to a professional animal care facility or be put down. A municipal court has ordered the Kolb’s to pay $11,000 in boarding expenses immediately or the animals will be euthanized. The Kolbs say they will move away if the dogs are given back. That’s easier said than done.

After the dogs bit two people in Jersey City, the couple offered to send the animals to California. But authorities soon found out that the dogs never left. The Kolbs then agreed to keep the pair muzzled and to move out of town, except they didn’t do either. A year ago the Boerbels were seized by animal control and have been running up a bill at the shelter ever since. Earlier this year the Kolbs were indicted for contempt of court for ignoring all the previous agreements. If convicted they face 18 months in prison.

Neighbors don’t want the gigantic dogs near their children. One man said, “These dogs were bred to fight lions in Africa and they have irresponsible owners. The dogs themselves are not bad. It’s the owners that cause the problems.”

Source: NJ.com, ” Prosecutor to Jefferson pair: Pay up or your dogs could be killed,” Brendan Kuty, Oct. 26, 2012

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