The St. Joseph County Animal Patrol Commission placed a four-year-old yellow Labrador named Cassius on one year of probation after reviewing the owners’ evidence that the dog had received reactive-dog training following an altercation in the neighborhood.

Owners Joan and Ted Bartus of 14307 Fox Chase Court said Cassius is a house dog who normally is leashed when outside and that an incident occurred when another dog named Duke jumped a window and engaged Cassius in the street. The owners submitted an assessment and a training progress letter from Dog Training Elite Michiana stating Cassius had completed seven of eight sessions of a platinum program addressing obedience and reactivity control.

The trainer’s letter, signed by Richard Napanelli, said Cassius had learned core obedience commands and that the family had been taught how to read boundaries and redirect signs of reactivity. The trainer recommended continued work in group classes to socialize the dog further.

Staff confirmed no prior history on file for Cassius; the owners said they reimbursed the other party’s vet bill. After the commission reviewed training evidence and heard staff comment that the Bartuses had no prior history in county files, a motion to place Cassius on probation for one year passed by voice vote. Commissioners said they were encouraged by the owners’ engagement with professional training and required continued compliance during the probation period.