Dog bite causes tension among residents during Rockwell animal control ordinance reform

A Rockwell resident and dog owner plead to the council last Wednesday for her dog to remain allowed in city limits, despite its part in a dog bite case earlier this month.

According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s log, the incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jul 12, on Elm Street in Rockwell. The dog, a Labrador and Greyhound mix, reportedly was let out of the home by the owner’s five-year-old son.

The dog, named Charlie, is owned by Rockwell resident Shannon Bochmann. Bochmann has owned and operated a dog grooming salon in Hampton for a number of years.

Bochmann came to the last regular Rockwell council meeting, held on Wednesday, Jul 18 to make her side of the story known. According to her account of the events, Charlie is an emotional support animal (ESA) for her young special needs son. While preparing to leave the house for the day, the dog was accidentally let out of the home by Bochmann’s son, and a woman happened to be walking by on the sidewalk.

According to Rockwell Police Chief Rick Whitney, the bite victim, also of Rockwell, was walking along the sidewalk when she was approached by the dog in what was described as “aggressive behavior.”

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