A Carroll man has been issued a citation for continuing to house an animal that has been deemed vicious under city code. On Dec. 13, the Carroll Police Department reports they issued the citation after finding that 23-year-old Christian Sterner still had possession of Princess in his home in the 700 block of North East Street after he lost an appeal to the vicious animal designation in late August of 2017. At that hearing, the victim, Jean Lambertz, told members of the Carroll City Council that she was sitting with a neighbor on the front porch of her home with her dog near her on a leash. Without warning, three other dogs, all owned by Sterner, rushed over to her property from two houses down. She attempted to get inside with her dog, but was unable to do so quickly enough and was bitten in the left hand. At that time, Sterner stated the dog had not displayed aggressive behavior in the past, but thought that her reaction may have come about because it was pregnant at the time. The council, however found that the incident and the animal fit the criteria for the designation—that it was at-large, on private property and attacked another animal or person without provocation. Sterner had the opportunity to appeal the decision to the District Court, but no records could be found that he did so, and in that case the order would still stand.
