ARIZONA -- Yvette Castaneda, 21, has walked through the same door at the Maricopa County Animal Control hundreds of times now. Only to be separated from her pit bull, Kibbs, by steel bars.
For the past seven months, Castaneda has been hoping for the best for her dog.
"It was a misfortunate accident," said Castaneda. [This woman is in denial!]
She just learned what that accident will cost her. "The dog has to be put down," said a somber Castaneda.
Even though Castaneda says Kibbs is not vicious, her neighbor Rick Hunter disagrees.
"It very viciously attacked the mailman," said Hunter.
Castaneda said the pit bull 'felt threatened' by the mailman and bit him last December. The dog was chained to a bench in front of Castaneda's home when Kibbs broke free.
[How often did she chain her dog to a bench at her front door? She defends her dog saying it 'felt threatened' as if it bit only out of fear. Um, no, it saw the mailman, got enraged, broke its chain and attacked the mailman. There is no excuse for what the dog did.]
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| Castaneda calls the attack an "accident" |
"The dog has a history of attacking, killing the other cat," said Hunter.
Hunter and 17 neighbors filed a lawsuit against Castaneda asking the court for the ultimate punishment, death for Kibbs.
"It's unfortunate but human life is much more important than animal life," said Hunter.
The mailman never came back to Greenway Drive in Tempe. Instead, something new showed up in the neighborhood.
"The post office quickly laid a slab and erected a mailbox unit here," said Hunter.
Hunter isn't happy with his communal mail box.
"We're in an older Tempe neighborhood. We have residential door service. It's something we enjoy and its much safer," said Hunter.
Castaneda said she's willing to move away to save her dog.
Even though Castaneda's trying to be strong, she said its hard knowing her neighbor's request was granted.
"How could you live with yourself to want to put a dog down when you don't even know him?" questioned Castaneda.
The dog owner said she plans on appealing the court's decision. Hunter said the mailman will return once the threat of the dog is gone.
(AZFamily - November 25, 2011)