Dog's bite is worse than his bark

Bowing to the demands of county prosecutors, an Algonquin man this month agreed to have his pit bull declared vicious by a McHenry County judge, a move that requires constant confinement of the dog.

Under a settlement ending four months of litigation over the male dog named Hoya, owner Daniel Tunison will keep the dog muzzled while inside his residence and allowed outdoors only in a full enclosure approved by the county.

The agreement also requires Tunison to have the dog neutered, pay a $100 annual fee, have a microchip placed under his skin for identification purposes and get court approval to sell or give away Hoya.

Because the dog now has been declared vicious, Tunison could face criminal charges if he does not abide by those restrictions, including felony charges and possible prison time if the dog gets loose and injures a person.

Tunison could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A listed telephone number for him was not in service.

County authorities filed suit in December to have Hoya declared vicious after it had been deemed "dangerous" three times after incidents in which it attacked Tunison's neighbors on the 700 block of Scott Street or other dogs.

In one instance, Hoya bit a neighbor but did not cause serious injury. On another occasion the dog got loose from its owner's residence and attacked a neighbor's dog, court documents state.

Court records show Daniel Tuniston had been cited twice and ordered to pay $878 in fines and court costs since last year for letting Hoya run loose.