A Nevis couple pleaded guilty Wednesday on charges stemming from two attacks on County Road 86 involving their Rottweilers.
Wynetta Eskelson, 48 has pleaded guilty to dog bite, a misdemeanor, from an incident Feb. 8 in which her six Rottweilers attacked a passing jogger, Nevis resident Brittany Boe-Neidviecky, and allegedly killed her Llasa Apso dog, which has not been found. Eskelson was also charged with public nuisance and harm caused by dog from that incident.
Gregory Eskelson, 54, has pleaded guilty to harm caused by dog, also a misdemeanor, resulting from a Feb. 22 incident in which four of the dogs again attacked Boe-Neidviecky near the Eskelsons' home. He was also charged with public nuisance from that incident.
Wynetta was charged with harm caused by dog and public nuisance from that incident as well.
Boe-Neidviecky called 911 following the first incident and drove herself to the emergency room after the second. She suffered bites and bruises from both attacks and now has scars.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hubbard County Attorney Greg Larson said some fines have been stayed on the condition "there is no like behavior." A jury trial had been set for June 21.
Wynetta has been fined $180 and Gregory has been fined $250. Both are on Social Security disability.
Five of the six dogs have been impounded since the second incident at the Headwaters Animal Shelter in Park Rapids. They have been ordered to be euthanized because they were deemed dangerous. The sixth dog recently had puppies and was allowed to stay with the Eskelsons.
"Neither of these incidents should have happened," Boe-Neidviecky had said. "Neighbors are scared of the dogs. I don't know if I could live with myself if something happened to a child."
"I've never seen anybody who gets attacked by a dog, go back to where they got attacked," Gregory Eskelson had said. "I don't have vicious dogs. I'm a retired EMT/firefighter. Those are running injuries."
The dogs were scheduled to be euthanized by today (Saturday), Larson said.
Larson said the county plans to sue the Eskelsons in civil court for the cost of impounding the dogs at the animal shelter since February.
Hubbard County does not currently have a dog ordinance.
