Woodville dog shot by police unlicensed




Medical expense donations for dog close to $5,000 goal
BY ALEXANDRA MESTER

WOODVILLE, Ohio — The owners of a dog shot by the Woodville police K-9 handler say the chocolate Labrador retriever appears happy to be home, but is struggling with pain and may require further hospital stays.
Lauren Bischoff said Friday that 5-year-old Moses has not been able to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time and whines in pain frequently despite strong medication.
“If it doesn't get better, we might have to take him back,” she said.
Moses had surgery Wednesday at West Suburban Animal Hospital in Sylvania Township to place rods and pins in his right front foreleg. He went home Thursday.
Woodville K-9 Officer Steve Gilkerson on Monday pulled a car over near the Bischoffs’ workplace at Lockport Transportation, 875 E. Main St., just outside the village. Moses is a fixture at the business, and he left the property and walked to the scene of the traffic stop.
Officer Gilkerson, who kept his K-9 partner in his cruiser, said Moses was targeted on him in an unfriendly way and did not respond to being yelled at. Fearing for his safety and that of the two people from the vehicle, who were also standing outside, he fired a single shot at Moses.
The case has become a hotly debated topic, as three witnesses claim Moses was not acting aggressively. The dog also was not properly licensed at the time, nor was he restrained or under an owner or handler’s reasonable control.
An online fund-raiser at GoFundMe.com — “Justice for Moses” — is close to meeting a $5,000 goal. As of this afternoon, nearly 140 people had donated more than $4,700.
“It’s amazing,” Mrs. Bischoff said. “The generosity of the community is incredible. ... I wish I could thank every one of these people individually.”
She said about 60 percent of the people who have donated are people they don’t know. The top donor, who chose to remain anonymous, sent in $345. Some have given just $10, others have stopped by Lockport Transportation to drop off donations, including money and homemade treats for Moses.
“Every little bit helps,” Mrs. Bischoff said. “As far as our bills go, they’re up there.”
Mrs. Bischoff said Moses’ treatment and aftercare, particularly if he would be hospitalized again, may exceed $5,000.
“I don’t see us having any extra right now, but if we do, we wouldn’t pocket it,” Mrs. Bischoff said. “It would go toward something, like a charity.”
Mrs. Bischoff and her husband, Thomas, are getting Moses licensed. Mrs. Bischoff said they plan to file a formal complaint with the police department next week, and she said the three witnesses intend to do so as well soon.