Commission declares dog "Tri State" dangerous after cyclist bitten on Falls Road

A county Animal Control and Education Commission declared a dog named Tri State a dangerous animal after hearing testimony on a March 9, 2025, incident in which a teenage cyclist, Luke Rausch, was bitten on Falls Road near 2850 Falls Road in Evansville.

Commissioners voted to find probable cause, heard testimony from the complainant, owner and witnesses, and then voted to declare Tri State dangerous while finding the injury did not rise to the code definition of "serious bodily injury." The commission ordered a set of stipulations including registration, home confinement or attended leash use outdoors, placement of warning signs by the road, spay/neuter and permanent identification, and potential fines for noncompliance.

The commission heard from Kelly Rausch, the complainant and mother of the injured teenager, who said the attack happened at about 3:11 a.m. on March 9, 2025. "If Luke had been walking and didn't have the bike to protect himself, this could have been much worse," she told the commission and presented photographs of the wounds and clothing showing punctures through pants and a visible leg wound. Rausch said Luke was taken…