A North Wales woman is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after her dog got loose and almost attacked another two dogs that were being walked by their owner.
Beth Rapp, 60, of the 200 block of Elm Avenue, has been charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, failure to keep her dog confined and related summary offenses in connection with an incident that occurred on March 16.
According to the criminal complaint, North Wales Police received a call from public works on March 16 regarding a medium-sized, black-and-white dog that was running unleashed on Elm Avenue with its owner — identified as Rapp — following in a minivan. The release states that the dog then became aggressive towards a male who was walking his two dogs, approaching them with teeth showing and lunging towards them in an attempt to bite. [Note: the neither the age nor the breed of the loose dog was provided in the complaint.]
The male told police that while that was happening, Rapp was yelling at him from her minivan, however he could not make out what she was saying, the report states. Rapp was then able to secure her dog in her minivan, however she did not stay on location, police said.
The male told police that despite the aggression, the dog did not successfully bite or scratch his two dogs, police said.
Investigators stated within the report that Rapp has been repeatedly warned about having her dog off leash, and that her continuance in allowing the dog to roam causes a hazardous and dangerous environment for the community. Police also expressed concern that Rapp’s actions are placing residents in circumstances that could lead to someone getting seriously injured due to what they described as Rapp’s negligence.
Court records indicate that prior to the charges being filed on March 16, Rapp has been cited four times since 2019 for her dog being off-leash, resulting in nearly $1,000 in fines — of which more than $500 remain unpaid.
Rapp’s first court appearance on the new charges is scheduled for April 15 at 12:30 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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