Lansford residents want action after a pit bull attacked and killed two small dogs days apart in the borough.

The first incident happened on Saturday when the dog broke free from a young girl’s control on West Bertsch Street and attacked another child’s small dog, Daisy, inflicting fatal wounds.

“This little boy is screaming at the top of his lungs, and this pit bull ripped this dog up,” Terri Kaczmar of Patterson Street told borough council’s public safety committee Thursday night.

“My son heard the boy scream and pulled that dog away,” she said. “This dog attacked another dog yesterday.”

Gloria Dominic of Water Street lost her small dog, Ida, in the second attack, just four days after the Ingrassia family lost Daisy.

“This girl is still walking around with this dog,” Kaczmar said, saying something has to be done to protect the public as this isn’t responsible pet ownership and puts children and pets in danger.

Councilman Jack Soberick, who chairs the public safety committee, said the incidents were horrific and sympathized with families.

He reached out to the borough’s officer in charge, Sgt. Shawn Nunemacher, earlier in the day after learning what happened, finding out that the dog’s owners were cited initially.

By law, the owner was required to confine the dog for 10 days, but the dog was out again, Soberick said.

The owners now face misdemeanor charges for violating that requirement and the police are filing a petition in district court to have the pit bull declared, “a dangerous dog,” he said.

If a judge declares the dog dangerous, the owner is required to have the dog muzzled, keep the dog contained in an area with a concrete pad and six-foot high fence, and carry a significant amount of liability insurance on the dog, Soberick said. The rules are often so costly that it’s financially easier for the owner to have the dog destroyed, he said.

Residents said they’re now afraid to walk their dogs and fear for their children and grandchildren, which could also fall victim to this dog.

“We’re stuck following these procedures,” Soberick said, but pointed out that if anyone sees this dog out on the street that they should notify the police or call 911.

Mayor Denise Leibensperger agreed. She told them to call 911 to have the county communication center dispatch police, and even if borough officers are busy with another emergency, such as a burglary Thursday morning, they can request a neighboring department to respond.

Residents said the parents of these children, who were out walking the pit bull and couldn’t control the animal, need to be held responsible, as children were out walking this dog.

“Here’s the thing,” Soberick said, “How do we affect the behavior of clearly irresponsible, incompetent or unintelligent parents?”

Kaczmar and Regina Ingrassia, whose 10-year-old grandson, Angelo, watched his dog being attacked, suggested a muzzle law for dogs.

Soberick pointed out that some people would still break that law and not muzzle their dog, leaving other dogs whose owners do follow the muzzle law defenseless in an attack.

Ingrassia said her grandson, Geo, couldn’t defend his little dog and thanked Daisy for protecting and saving him when they buried her. She would like to see a muzzle law for potentially dangerous breeds of dog, which could be called, “Daisy’s Law.”

A muzzle law for big dogs, or potentially dangerous dogs, would actually save dogs from being euthanized, because they can’t hurt or kill another dog or child, Ingrassia said.

Soberick told those attending that they’re not giving them lip service and he even reached out to the state dog warden about the incidents, calling them “horrible.”

Ingrassia also pointed out that the family was left in the dark for days after the attack, because they couldn’t reach police and left messages with the department with no response until Wednesday.

She learned then about the process that police had to follow, but expressed frustration in not being able to reach police or have someone call her back for days.

“I didn’t want this to happen to another dog,” Ingrassia said. That’s why I was trying to do something right away to prevent this from happening to another dog. (The second attack) should have never happened.”

Leibensperger, who wanted to meet with families affected by the attack, said that the police department is operating short-staffed and needs more officers, as well as an administrative person to answer the phones and file reports, keeping officers on the streets.

Leibensperger also expressed her sympathy as well to the families, as did the borough’s police department in a social media post explaining that charges were be filed and laws followed.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and pet owners navigating this difficult situation,” the post states.

Carbon County Animal Shelter director, Tom Connors, who was contacted before Thursday’s meeting, said that he was not involved in the incidents, but was aware. He said it was in the hands of police, the dog warden and the local magistrate with the dangerous dog petition.

“I believe a judge will make the final decision on what happens to this pup,” Connors said.