CROWN POINT, Ind. - Plenty of lawyers have dogs — but how many dogs have lawyers?
At least one. And his name is Cabic.
Lake Circuit Judge Lorenzo Arredondo appointed an attorney Thursday to represent Cabic at a hearing to determine whether he is a wolf-dog hybrid.
For Cabic, the outcome is a matter of life and death.
Cabic bit one of his owner's Cedar Lake neighbors, Mark Schilling, in the thigh on April 18 when Schilling came to borrow a power tool. The dog's owner, Nancy Armalius, does not dispute that.
But Schilling became ill a few days later and doctors told him the bite wound was infected. Animal Control authorities put the dog on a 10-day quarantine to determine if he has rabies.
However, the 10-day waiting period does not apply to wild animals. Under Indiana law, wolf-dog hybrids are considered wild, said Nicholas Doffin, the county health administrator.
"The incubation periods vary in wild animals so you can't determine how long it takes for the disease to surface," Doffin said.
If the judge rules that Cabic is a hybrid, the animal's head must be removed and sent to the state Health Department laboratory to be tested for rabies.
Schilling believes that Cabic is a German shepherd-wolf mix. Armalius' former husband said the dog was the offspring of a German shepherd and a wolf, but Armalius is not certain, said Priscilla Herochik, Cabic's attorney.
Schilling is receiving a series of rabies vaccinations that likely would keep him from contracting the disease, but he said he wants to know for sure whether the dog could have given him rabies.
"Everybody's talking about statistics but I say, 'Screw the statistics.' Does it have rabies or doesn't it? My peace of mind is more important than any animal," Schilling said.
Associated Press.
wil.
At least one. And his name is Cabic.
Lake Circuit Judge Lorenzo Arredondo appointed an attorney Thursday to represent Cabic at a hearing to determine whether he is a wolf-dog hybrid.
For Cabic, the outcome is a matter of life and death.
Cabic bit one of his owner's Cedar Lake neighbors, Mark Schilling, in the thigh on April 18 when Schilling came to borrow a power tool. The dog's owner, Nancy Armalius, does not dispute that.
But Schilling became ill a few days later and doctors told him the bite wound was infected. Animal Control authorities put the dog on a 10-day quarantine to determine if he has rabies.
However, the 10-day waiting period does not apply to wild animals. Under Indiana law, wolf-dog hybrids are considered wild, said Nicholas Doffin, the county health administrator.
"The incubation periods vary in wild animals so you can't determine how long it takes for the disease to surface," Doffin said.
If the judge rules that Cabic is a hybrid, the animal's head must be removed and sent to the state Health Department laboratory to be tested for rabies.
Schilling believes that Cabic is a German shepherd-wolf mix. Armalius' former husband said the dog was the offspring of a German shepherd and a wolf, but Armalius is not certain, said Priscilla Herochik, Cabic's attorney.
Schilling is receiving a series of rabies vaccinations that likely would keep him from contracting the disease, but he said he wants to know for sure whether the dog could have given him rabies.
"Everybody's talking about statistics but I say, 'Screw the statistics.' Does it have rabies or doesn't it? My peace of mind is more important than any animal," Schilling said.
Associated Press.
wil.
