Georgetown dog seized again

Less than two weeks after a victory in court, a Georgetown family's dog has again been seized after it got loose and has been accused of terrorizing a neighbor.

Valerie Taylor and Kevaughn Taylor's pit bull Moka was the subject of a dangerous dog hearing Oct. 17 after the dog killed a neighbor's toy poodle in September. Judge Michael Sherlock dismissed the case because he said documents showed Office of Animal Welfare officers failed to request the hearing within 72 hours of identifying the dog's owner, as mandated by law.

But when Moka got loose again Oct. 27 and attempted to attack a neighboring resident, officials were given a second chance to file for a hearing. This time, officers filed the necessary documents the following day.

“We are disappointed that the case involving a potentially dangerous dog from Georgetown was dismissed,” said Emily Knearl, a spokeswoman with the Department of Health and Social Services. “We firmly believe the dog in question is a danger to the community.”

Seized by animal-control officers Oct. 27, Moka’s fate now depends on the upcoming court hearing.

When she ran from her yard on Edward Street in Georgetown Oct. 27, she charged at Georgetown resident Mary Cahill, who said she and her pet poodle had been attacked by Moka and the Taylor's second pit bull, DC, last fall. Cahill and her poodle, who were on their Nancy Street property at the time, were uninjured.

“I just can't believe it happened again,” Cahill said. “I'm just glad I didn't have my dog in the yard with me or my grandchildren. If they were there with me, I might not have been able to grab them and run. It could have been a whole lot worse.”

When Moka charged at Cahill, who was in the yard raking leaves Oct. 27, Cahill locked herself in her fenced-in dog pen and was uninjured. Neighbors immediately contacted police and animal control, who seized Moka that day. Moka left Cahill's yard and returned home when officers arrived, Cahill said.

Georgetown Police Department Chief Randall Hughes, who was on scene Oct. 27, said there have been several complaints from area residents about the Taylors' dogs.

“We've had enough calls that it is a concern for us,” he said. “We're aware of the issue. We're working with the residents there and using all the resources we can to make it safe there.”

Valerie Taylor declined to comment about the incident, but she said she was issued a citation for dog-at-large because her son was not home at the time.

The Office of Animal Welfare refused to share the incident report with the Cape Gazette, stating it will not be released until the case is closed.

Court dockets show the Office of Animal Welfare filed for a dangerous dog hearing Oct. 28, identifying Kevaughn Taylor as the defendant. Subpoenas for the hearing have been issued to the Taylors, Cahill and three other neighbors, the docket shows.

During the pending dangerous dog hearing, a judge will decide whether Moka is not dangerous, potentially dangerous or dangerous. The owners could be required to keep her restrained at all times, spay her, get at least $100,000 in liability insurance or have her euthanized.

Kevaughn Taylor also faces trial in February after pleading not guilty to a criminal charge of maintaining a dangerous animal related to Moka’s attack on a toy poodle in September. State law shows, if convicted, the charge would likely be considered a Class A misdemeanor; the charge would be considered a felony if Moka had injured or killed a person instead of a dog.

State police said Kevaughn Taylor also is being charged with disorderly conduct after he went to All Aboard Kennels in Frankford Oct. 27 and began cursing at and threatening an officer while trying to get his dog back. He was arrested and released on $250 unsecured bond.

A handful of neighbors, including Cahill, said they expected someone – or some dog – was going to get hurt if the dogs continued to get loose in the neighborhood.

“Some people's pets have been seriously injured already,” Cahill said. “I don't want it to be a human life.”

The Office of Animal Welfare has only confirmed one attack on a neighboring dog in July, the fatal attack in September and the most recent incident in October, noting that it would not verify the identity of the dogs or the dogs' owners. Nearby residents argue they have made several complaints about the dogs since 2015, while the Taylors previously refuted most of those claims.

State officials said in a previous interview that a draft policy for releasing information about dog-control related incidents is under legal review.

The dangerous dog hearing for Moka and Kevaughn Taylor is scheduled for 9 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 23, at Justice of the Peace Court 16 in Dover. For more about the Office of Animal Welfare, go to dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/oaw/oawhome.html.