7.1. SR 07-06-2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hello, My name is Stephanie Hughes. I have lived at 18869 Albany St. NW in Elk River from September 2017 to March 2020 1 have moved back in May of 2021. During the time I have lived there, I have witnessed numerous dog fights, I have witnessed the dog's owner running around the neighborhood catching the dogs that have escaped from their house/yard. During one of the times, they have escaped, I was walking out of the front door with my at the time 3 year old son, when one of her dogs ran out of the their front door while the owner was opening it. This dog ran up to me and my child. I had to block my child as we froze in fear as the owner was yelling at her dog and holding it back from us. This has also happened to other family members of mine. There was also an occasion that 3 of her dogs escaped from their yard while I was getting in my car to go to work early in the morning. The dogs were running in all different directions in the neighborhood. The owner was no where to be seen, so I went over and knocked on their door letting them know their dogs were running around the neighborhood. The owner screamed for her young son and they both went running after their dogs. I have witnessed the child at the resident kicking and punching the dog with a closed fist. When we let the owner know about this, her response was, "That makes sense, that's why they are getting mean." The owner has also brought our dead cat that was mutilated over to our home saying he found her by Their yard. Earlier this year was the most disturbing incident, I was outside with my now 5-year-old and my mom when 4 or 5 Pitbull dogs were outside in their yard. 2 of the dogs began to fight. One having bitten down on the others neck. Both owners came out and started screaming at the dogs while kicking and punching these dogs with all their might to try to get them to let go of each other. One owner yelled over at us stating, "I can't take this anymore" while calling us foul names in front of my child. My child went inside crying and has had a fear of dogs since then. It was traumatizing to me the way the dogs were crying in pain, I cannot believe my child at such a young age had to witness that as well and not only see the dogs aggressing with each other and not letting go, but seeing the owners scream, cry, punch and kick their dogs with all of their force. A few weeks after this incident, my child was playing outside on his bike when the owner came out into their yard. My son asked the owner is she was happy now. (She was upset and screaming when her dogs were fighting) She then went inside her home and slammed the door before texting me threatening/foul texts. My son is five and was just trying to be nice. When we have made police reports, the police also advised us about the dangers of their dogs and had told us to carry a large stick or something similar outside when my child is playing outside in our fenced in backyard because the officer was aware of how aggressive the dogs are and explained the dangers of the locking of their jaws when they bite. With all of these incidents, they have verbally blamed us for their dogs behavior. Their reasoning is that when our dog barks on the other side of the fence, it upsets their dogs and makes them aggressive. We