Dog in Sisters incident found; owner given warning

A Sisters woman has been issued a written warning for animal nuisance after she was identified as the owner of a dog that knocked down another Sisters woman, landing her in the hospital with leg injuries, officials said.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office had asked for the public’s help in finding the dog and its owner after the April 12 incident that injured Jodi Schneider McNamee, 62.

She had told deputies a dog hit her from behind, knocking her to the ground. She said she’d looked up to see the dog, which she believed was a brown and white pit bull or pit bull mix, standing over her, growling. Another citizen who witnessed the incident scared off the dog and it ran away.

Last Saturday, a witness contacted the sheriff’s office and Joyce Rayburn of Sisters was identified as the owner of the dog, which turned out to be a 3-year-old Labrador/boxer mix, said sheriff’s Sgt. Jayson Janes.

Based on their statements, Janes said deputies determined Rayburn was visiting a home on Tyee Drive and getting ready to leave with the dog.

The homeowner, unaware the dog was not on a leash, opened the garage door, the sergeant said, and it ran out into the road, where Schneider McNamee was walking her dogs.

After deputies discussed the incident with Schneider McNamee, Janes said, it was determined Rayburn would not be cited for the incident. Instead, she was given a written warning for animal nuisance.