Dog charges student in Tower Village

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2015

Every weekday, a number of students make the trek to class from Tower Village Apartments. On Feb. 6, one student’s commute was startled when she was charged by a pit bull.

Junior and Tower Village resident Amandhi Mathews, a student at the University of Dallas, has been living in the complex for the past year. Prior to February, she had never experienced any trouble with the complex’s pet control. 

Aside from complaints regarding frequent barking and waste by the sidewalks, she has not noticed anything particularly concerning. 

However, this instance crossed the line. 

“I was walking by the lake when I saw the dog with its owner,” Mathews said. “I didn’t think much of it, but then all of a sudden as I was walking it looked at me and started charging at me. The owner lost control of the leash, and I was forced to jump down the hill to run away from it.” 

The dog’s walker was able to regain control, but for several seconds Mathews genuinely feared for her safety when the dog rushed to her and snapped at her leg. 

The owner of the pitbull, a young teenager, lost control of the dog because he was not strong enough to hold its leash, according to Mathews. 

After he apologized for the mishap, Mathews contacted Becky Jones from Tower Village to report the incident. 

Mathews, whose family owns several dogs, including a pit bull, is especially aware of how dangerous they can be. 

“I’m not even allowed to walk our pitbull, only my dad is,” said Mathews. “If it were a child, [this] would’ve been a different story.”

Mathews believes that the regulations regarding pets should be more forcefully implemented among residents by Tower Village staff. 

According to official regulations for owning a pet in Tower Village, owners must first specify the breed and size of their dog before receiving approval. Within these regulations, they specifically prohibit “aggressive” breeds of dogs, such as pit bulls, akitas, and rottweilers.

For students who live in Tower Village and own dogs, would not want an incident like this to jeopardize their ability to own a pet. 

Cole Griffin, a sophomore business major and resident of Tower Village, has owned a dog for eight months and fears that an accident like Mathews’s could have serious repercussions for all pet owners, even those who responsibly care for their dogs. 

Although Tower Village presents itself as a “pet-friendly” complex with amenities for dogs, Griffin said their dog park proves otherwise. 

“I use the dog park frequently with my own dog,” Griffin said. “However, some of the equipment has been damaged and I’m always finding broken glass on the ground there.” 

Griffin said he has witnessed several other dog owners that have failed to control their pets. 

“There are many other aggressive dogs here that are always causing problems. I often hear dogs fighting and barking at each other right outside of my own apartment.” 

Griffin expressed that he would like to see more action taken by Tower Village’s management in handling pet control.

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