A Lawrence woman was formally charged Wednesday afternoon in Lawrence Municipal Court for her two pit bulls getting loose Nov. 11 in east Lawrence and killing Lancelot, a 12-year-old Labrador.

Claudia Sims, 1534 Cadet Ave., has been charged with two counts of allowing a dog at large and one count of damage to property.

Allen Toshavik Sr., who lives at the same address, also faces the same charges. He was ill and did not appear Wednesday afternoon.

Sims, who plead not guilty to the charges, will have her next hearing March 14. Municipal Judge Randy McGrath has not yet made a decision what to do about Toshavik’s hearing.

The maximum fine is $100 for the dog-at-large charge for each animal. The maximum penalty for the damage to property charge is $500 and/or up to 10 days in jail.

Sims and Toshavik’s two pit bulls were picked up by Lawrence Police animal control officers Nov. 11 after they mauled Lancelot, the longtime pet of Rebecca Goodin and her four children.

The dogs got loose from Sims and Toshavick’s home on Cadet Avenue, ran east across Memorial Park Cemetery and jumped a fence into the Goodins’ back yard at 1615 Harper St.

They attacked Lancelot, the family’s dog, who was tied to his dog house. Neighbors chased the two pit bulls away, but not before they severely mauled the older dog, which died in a veterinary hospital three hours later.

According to an agreement signed by Sims and Toshavik with the city prosecutor, the pit bulls were euthanized Nov. 21.

¢ Pit bulls to be euthanized, charges filed against owners (11-20-02)¢ Incident may push county to ban pit bulls (11-20-02)¢ 6News video: Dog attacks bring talk of stricter regulations¢ Ordinance collars 6 dangerous dogs¢ Pit bull attack prompts flood of complaints (11-15-02)¢ 6News video: Family dog killed by pit bulls (11-13-02)¢ Pit bulls attack, kill restrained Labrador (11-13-02)¢ City ordinance on dangerous dogs

Midge Grinstead, executive director of the Lawrence Humane Society, has led an effort for the city to consider rewriting its laws dealing with dangerous dogs.

Grinstead said Wednesday she has met with Dave Corliss, assistant city manager, and with the city’s animal control officers to discuss the problems with the existing law.

Grinstead said she supports putting more teeth into the existing law to allow animal control officers to go to an owner’s house to pick up a dog that has gotten out and attacked or terrorized someone.

Current law is unclear when that can be done, which has lead to repeat offenses by the same dogs before they are picked up, she said.

“My thought was I needed to get a way to get the law enforced,” Grinstead said.

Corliss said Wednesday that he was putting together a report that will go to the Lawrence City Commission sometime in January.

“We haven’t come up with any recommendations,” he said.