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| RIP little Choco |
The pit bull named Smoke killed an English bulldog puppy named Chocó.
But the laws that decide what should happen next may not be what you would expect.
Chocó was a nine-week-old English bulldog. His owners say they paid $3,500 for the purebred. Then, a few days ago, they went to let Chocó in from the backyard and he wouldn't respond.
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| The pit bull tore off a board from their privacy fence |
"We are calling for Chocó and Chocó is laying down right over there and he is not moving; not breathing," the puppy’s owner Heather Demkey said.
The neighbor's pit bull broke through the fence that separates the two backyards and attacked the puppy. When Chocó’s owners went to help their puppy the pit bull, called Smoke, was still in their backyard.
"Jeff goes to pick up the puppy and the pit bull grabs onto the puppy and there is a tug of war over the puppy," Demkey said.
By the time it was over it was too late to save Chocó.
"There was nothing I could do; just hold him," Demkey said.
The pit bull owners didn't want to go on camera. But they say Smoke had never done anything like this before. They say a vet told them Smoke was protecting his own litter of puppies. Animal control did go to the home but did not take Smoke away.
"I want him gone. I want him dead because I don’t want this to happen to a child. I don’t want this to happen to someone else because it is very traumatizing," Demkey said.
Animal control says they have no record of the dog ever being aggressive before and the law doesn't allow them to take a dog that doesn't have a violent history.
Heather Demkey says she is not happy with animal control's response.
Animal control says for them it’s a Catch 22. If they had taken Smoke they say his owner likely would have complained. So the best they can do is apply the law, which they say they did in this case.
[I believe they have dangerous/vicious animals listed in their ordinances. This dog clearly was off its property, attacked and killed an innocent puppy - no way could this puppy have 'provoked' it into attacking, which is an excuse a lot of people try to use. These neighbors were deprived of their family pet, they suffered emotional distress and they were deprived of their property. There is no reason to think this pit bull would not do this again to another pet or a child or adult. ANIMAL CONTROL SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY SEIZED THE DOG FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. If, after a court hearing, the judge gives the dog back, well that's on the judge - but at least Animal Control would have done their job -- which they didn't, in this case.]
Demkey says she wants Smoke put down and the neighbor to pay $3,500 for her puppy.
“I want justice for Chocó," Demkey said.
The pit bull’s owner says he voluntarily surrendered both of his adult pit bulls to animal control Monday afternoon. He says he will get rid of the puppies as soon as he can find good homes for them.
[Why is this idiot breeding pit bulls in the first place?!!! Arghh! And typical response of the owner. The dog does something horrific. They simply give the dog to Animal Control to be put to sleep and they get off scot-free without being cited, fined, etc. And then they go get new pit bulls. Or in this case, he'll just keep some of the puppies. There's no law saying he can't...]
Meanwhile, Demkey says she will look into getting the law for these types of situations changed.
(Turnto23 - Nov 8, 2011)
