TONY STINNETT, Courier Co-Editor
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 4:10 am

Cannon County resident Donna Falkenback enjoyed her life and time spent with the Chihuahua she had shared times with during the past five years.

All of that changed when her Chihuahua was savagely attacked and killed by a pit bull living next door, owned by Ricky Ray Mullins. According to Falkenback, the pitbull came onto her porch, attacked her dog and then drug it into the back yard and killed it.

It was not the first time one of Mullins’ “vicious” dogs had attacked a neighborhood animal.

This time; however, Falkenback took action and filed a report with the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. Mullins has been charged with dog at large and will appear in Cannon County to answer the charges Nov. 2.

“(Mullins) has no remorse,” Falkenback said. “He wouldn’t even come clean the blood up off of my back porch. He is taking no responsibility for his dogs. It just does not bother him and that’s the reason I filed the report. He needs to take responsibility for his dog. I thought since his dog came into my yard and came onto my porch and killed my dog that they would come get it but they didn’t.”

Cannon County Sheriff Darrell Young said since there was not an animal shelter in the county it is difficult to pick up animals; however, he said there is rules people should abide by when it comes to their animals.

“If (the county) would build an animal shelter I would provide them manpower, but we don’t have a shelter,” Young said. “According to what the circumstances are, the first time something like this happens we strongly request the owner pen his animal up or make sure it can’t get out of the yard and into someone else’s. If it happens a second time they are issued a citation for dog at large.”

Falkenback said one of Mullins’ dogs previously attacked neighbor David Johnson’s dog.

“I’m in a motorized wheelchair and I ride that to visit my mother but it’s reached a point that I’m afraid to do that because if that dog came after me I couldn’t get away,” Falkenback said. “It’s a problem and owners have to understand they are liable for their animals. I hate what happened but I understand that sometimes things do happen. I just wish he had some remorse and feelings for others and their animals.”