GENEVA, Ala. (WTVY) – A Geneva woman faces charges related to a vicious dog attack that sent another woman to the hospital last month.
Geneva Police Chief Pepper Mock said officers arrested 30-year-old Kenyatta Thompson on Sunday morning on a misdemeanor charge of failing to control her animals.
Kenyatta Thompson(Geneva Police Department)
Video footage obtained from a neighbor’s Ring camera shows three dogs attacking Sheila Pate.
“I seriously thought I was fixing to die,” Pate told WTVY News4 anchor Beyla Walker. “And I said, ‘God, please get these dogs off me. They’re going to kill me.’”
Despite Pate’s concerns and injuries, Mock said investigators could charge Thompson only with a misdemeanor because the injuries, under Alabama law, did not rise to the level considered “serious.”
He said Thompson made comments indicating that she was aware her dogs posed a threat.
Geneva City Council members are discussing strengthening local ordinances after a public outcry following the attack.
Geneva has ordinances banning stray dogs and requiring leashes, but enforcing them has been difficult.
“I believe if we impose a stiff enough fine, we can stop some of it,” Mayor David Hayes said after a discussion. “But we’re going to take it as far as we can go with it and push it.”
This story was updated to reflect additional information regarding on what officers based the charges.
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