KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A neighborhood in Kalamazoo is feeling frustrated with local authorities after residents say there have been multiple attacks involving the same set of dogs from the same home.
Melissa Kendal says the dogs attacked her husband, there was another incident with another neighbor this week, and says that police and Animal Services are pointing fingers at one another with nothing being solved.
According to Kendal, her husband sustained major leg injuries and had to get rabies shots, and their front porch was destroyed, all after the dogs attacked him at their Arthur Avenue home in July 2023.
She says she had to wrestle them off of him so he could go to the emergency room, after which he couldn’t walk and had to take a week off of work.
“He had big open wounds, when you get bit by dogs they can’t close the wounds,” she said. “They have to leave them open because the bites are so prone to infections and they couldn’t close the wounds.”
Melissa says Kalamazoo’s Animal Services and police told her she wouldn’t be seeing the dogs again, but she tells us that hasn’t been the case.
The Kendals say the canines have been in their yard several times in the last year and a half, and just this week, a second bite involved another neighbor.
In one incident, Kendal says her neighbors saw the dogs allegedly killing a cat in her own yard.
“And [Animal Services] said, ‘there’s nothing we can do. You don’t have pictures. So sorry.’ I asked if I could speak to the officer who we’ve been in touch with multiple times, they said ‘she probably won’t be calling you back,'” Kendal said.
Kalamazoo Animal Services and Enforcement did not agree to an on-camera interview, but Director Chad Ensign provided us with a statement confirming the two biting incidents, saying that the dogs are currently being quarantined.
News Channel 3 tried knocking on the door of the alleged owners over two days, with no response.
“Who’s being held accountable for this when all the neighbors are continually going to them and saying something dangerous is happening, and they’re just ignoring it?” Kendal said.
According to Kalamazoo’s dog ordinances, owners can be summoned to court if their dog attacks or bites a person. The same laws say that the dogs must be confined for 10 days.
However, Animal Services did not respond when asked about the current status of the case.
Kendal says there are children, older people, and other pets on this street — and she’s worried what will happen next.
“We aren’t in it for money, we just want to be able to walk outside our door and not get mauled by dogs.”
We have also reached out to township police, who told us that all animal issues in the county are handled by Animal Services.
They say you can report a complaint by calling 269-383-8775 during their open hours, and through 911 on weekends and holidays.
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