The attack between dogs has caused the city of La Crosse to add cameras to a local dog park. The Parks, Recreation and Forestry department will be adding cameras to Houska Park in hopes that owners will be more careful of what their dogs are up to and to better determine if a dog is too aggressive.

The department’s director, Steve Carlyon, said he has heard complaints from the park before, but none like the recent report of a big dog attacking a smaller dog. “A police report has been filed,” Carlyon said. “That kind of behavior in the dog parks is not tolerated at all.” He said any dog, along with its owner, believed to be too aggressive would be banned from city parks. “Say your dog goes after another dog for no reason. The dog can be considered as a vicious and aggressive dog,” said Animal Control Supervisor Kathy Kasakaitas. “If a dog attacks two times in a 12-month period, it can be considered dangerous to other pets and people of our community.” Animal Control follows up with these reports to see if there are any past incidents that would make authorities consider the dog dangerous, and if so, that dog can be sent to a different county or even put down.

That’s why Kasakaitas said it’s important to get the story straight, and the cameras coming to Houska park could help with that. “Sometimes, witnesses only see the final part of the attack they don’t see the start of it, and I think the cameras might be a good tool,” she said. “I think just the cameras, letting people in the public know there are cameras, should prevent any further action like this,” Carlyon said.