Joe Namath's yellow Labrador declared dangerous

By By BRIAN SKOLOFF | Associated Press Writer

Comments (0) |

E-Mail

Text Size:

tool goes here

Back in the day, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath was known for his dangerous arm. Now settled into a comfortable retirement in Florida, it's his dog that's dangerous.

Namath, 66, appeared before a hearing officer on Thursday in West Palm Beach to answer to charges that two of his dogs attacked people who came to his home in Tequesta, a quiet community about 90 miles north of Miami.

His 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Leo, was declared "dangerous" during Thursday's hearing. The case against another of Namath's dog, a 6-year-old Weimeraner named Stella, was dropped because a witness didn't show, said Capt. Dave Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

As a dangerous dog, Leo must now be muzzled and leashed even on Namath's property. It must have a microchip implanted and carry a special "dangerous" dog designation tag. Namath must also now post signs on his property warning of the dog's presence.

An animal control officer will visit Namath's home yearly to be sure he is complying.

If the dog bites someone else, it could be declared "vicious," and euthanized, and Namath could face criminal charges, Walesky said.

"If he moves and doesn't notify us, if he gives the dog away and doesn't notify us, it's a violation of the ordinance and he could be fined," Walesky said.

Namath declined to comment. His New York attorney, James C. Walsh, said Namath might appeal.

Walesky said animal control had received four reports of Namath's dogs attacking people on his property since 2007, "and rumors of many more."

A UPS driver was "accosted by a pack of dogs" on Namath's property in May 2007, Walesky said.

"He's not sure which dog bit him, but he did identify Leo as one of the dogs," he said.

Then in February 2009, a contractor working at the home was reportedly "pinned up against his vehicle and bitten on the wrist," Walesky said. He identified Stella as the culprit, but the man did not appear for the hearing Thursday, so the case against that dog was dropped.

Officials say in May 2008 a home nurse mistakenly went to Namath's home and was bitten by one of his dogs. It was believed to be Leo. Lastly, in August a landscaper was bitten on Namath's property, Walesky said.

He said Namath hasn't acknowledged that his dogs bit anyone.

The legendary quarterback is best known for leading the underdog New York Jets to one of the most storied Super Bowl victories 40 years ago over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.

About comments

Reader comments on SanLuisObispo.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Tribune. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What you should know about comments on SanLuisObispo.com

SanLuisObispo.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. See our full terms of service here.

Here are some rules of the road:

Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and leave him a public message.
Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Tribune does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the username of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.