UPDATE: City Sues Residents for Removal of Dog From Home

A Port Washington couple faces a lawsuit from the city because of several incidents involving their boxer-type dog, with end goal being the removal of the dog from the home, according to City Attorney Eric Eberhardt.

Allyn and Tina Schoenfeld's dog, Rex, was involved in several incidents, including an attack against a neighbor's adult son in November, after Rex broke free from its owners and ran at the man, according to police reports. Police noted lacerations to the man's head, hand and groin area.

"The city is hopeful that the dog owners will do the responsible thing and voluntarily remove the dog," Eberhardt said. "Having the dog euthanized is the last thing that the city (would want)."

The lawsuit points to several other incidents involving Rex, including an attack on a neighbor dog. Police Chief Kevin Hingiss said the department worked with Eberhardt on the lawsuit because the multiple incidents involving Rex lead officials to believe the dog is a danger to the public.

The police department follows procedures that include a 14-day quarantine process of the animal after an incident such as an attack on a human occurs, Hingiss said. The department is able to provide Patch a copy of those procedures, and this article will be updated when those are available.

"Beware of Dog" signs are posted in front of the Schoenfeld's home, according to WISN, and neighbors say the couple's dog terrorizes the neighborhood. The complaint details a situation in which neighbors were fearful of the dog while walking on the sidewalk near the home, and crossed the street because of this fear.

The lawsuit asks the courts to consider whether this dog is a public nuisance, calling for the removal of the animal from the couple's residence. If this happens, the couple could face fines if they continued to keep the dog for violating a city ordinance regarding public nuisance. 

The lawsuit could also result in an order to euthanize the animal.