An attorney for the city of Daytona Beach went before a judge Thursday saying the dog owner, Khalid Fazal, is not keeping his dogs secure inside kennels and the dogs, because of their vicious nature, should be destroyed.
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| If the German Shepherds had already been declared dangerous, why would these crappy-looking kennels pass muster by officials?! |
One of those neighbors, Summer Nelson said several of Fazal's German Shepherds went after her dog, mauling it.
"It tore his stomach open and broke his ribs," said Nelson, adding her dog required 800 stitches.
Debra Ungerer said those same German Shepherds tore her pet rabbit to pieces, killing it.
[Harold Stone, 58, said his dog "Coco", a Catahoula, needed stitches after she was attacked by Fazal's German Shepherds.]
"Those dogs are killers," he said. "He should not be allowed to own animals."
Yet another homeowner, Maria Moquin, said the dogs are not just attacking other animals.
"There are nine other dogs that have been attacked and bitten by these German Shepherds, and there's individuals, people who have been bitten by these dogs," said Moquin.
Fazal explained to the judge he was in the process of repairing his kennels to keep them locked inside and away from his neighbors.
The judge gave Fazal 10 days to repair those kennels, even though Fazal claimed he and his dogs will be moving from the neighborhood soon.
Another hearing is set in the next two weeks to follow up and see if Fazal's kennels are up to code.
Tensions over Fazal's dogs go back nearly two years, the neighbors say. As early as February 2010, Animal Control Officers with the city were issuing civil citations for Fazal's dogs running loose.
At least two dogs were bitten by Fazal's shepherds in June, prompting further action. Records show the dogs had already been deemed dangerous by the city once before.
Police Chief Mike Chitwood, in issuing a report back in June, said the dogs escaped from an enclosure and attacked even after the city took action against Fazal.
"I respectfully request," Chitwood wrote, "Mr. Fazal's dogs be destroyed in an expeditious and humane manner."
The case has been tied up in court since then.
(13News - October 14, 2011)
