Woman From Hudsonville Gets Jail Time for Sicking Dog on Man

A Hudsonville woman will be going to jail after she told her dog to attack a man she was arguing with.

Sic 'Em

Sic 'Em is a command to train a dog to attack an intruder. It is like having a gun to protect your family at home if someone is trying to break in without actually owning a gun.

Sic 'Em has been around since at least 1845. The first known source of the phrase was in a book called "The Adventures of Captain Simon." The phrase is a pronunciation modification of seek him as go after him or attack him.

I have been to friends' homes before and heard them use the term "Sic 'Em" to get their dogs fired up at someone walking by or coming to the door. This would get their dog riled up to train them against potential intruders. I never thought someone would need to do this in real life but nothing surprises me these days.

Read More: Postal Service Says Michigan is in Top 10 For Dog Bites

Hudsonville Woman Who Sic's Dog on Man is Getting Jail Time

According to WOOD, 37-year-old Augustina Villarreal was arguing with a man and then sicked her dog on him. The dog bit them several times in his arms before he could crawl out a window of the house to get away.

Villarreal pleaded from a felonious assault with a dangerous weapon down to a misdemeanor. She was fined over $850 but will get 75 days in the Ottawa County Jail. Once out of jail, she will spend a year on probation.

Michigan does have laws on the books that say a dog owner is liable for their dog biting a victim who was legally on the property and the victim did not provoke the dog. The man bitten by Villarreal's dog could come back and sue her.