A U-Haul hit a bump on Claiborne Woods Road in northwest Charlotte on Aug. 26. The rear door popped open, and seven dogs tumbled out onto the street. According to police, the pack immediately charged at a woman walking nearby and then went after three other neighbors who tried to help. Three people were hospitalized with extensive injuries. One neighbor grabbed a shovel and fought the dogs off. A sheriff’s deputy who happened to be serving an eviction on the same street shot and killed one dog during the attack.
On Sept. 16, Rychelle Morrow, 44, and Rodney Morrow, 75, were booked into the Mecklenburg County jail on more than 50 combined charges. Each faces seven counts of animal abandonment, animal cruelty, failure to vaccinate, and failure to display a rabies tag. Police say the dogs had no rabies vaccinations on record and no tags displayed. The affidavit notes the owner never returned for the animals after the attack.
That last detail matters more than it might seem. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, and Florida law requires current vaccination and tags for exactly this reason. Here on the Suncoast, with so many of us out walking dogs, biking, or just enjoying the cooler evenings, loose animals are a real safety issue. Transporting pets safely, in a crate or with a secured door, isn’t optional. It’s the difference between a routine drive and a neighborhood emergency.
Have you ever dealt with a loose or unvaccinated dog in your own neighborhood? Tell us what happened.
