ARIZONA -- Three pit bulls were euthanized on Tuesday by officers of the Santa Cruz County Animal Care and Control after they mauled another dog in Tumacacori.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday, county dispatch received a 911 call from a woman at 1902 E. Frontage Road, who reported the attack and said the pit bulls were still on the property.
"Our officer got there and met with the female and advised animal control who arrived on scene and took care of the pit bulls," said Lt. Raoul Rodriguez of the Sheriff's Office.
Animal Control Officer Blanca Molera responded to the call. She said the owner immediately relinquished the dogs for euthanasia.
"They were put down that night," she said. "It's what he wanted - to surrender them because he didn't want any problems with dogs."
Molera said the owner of the [elderly Blue] Heeler that was killed indicated that as long as the pit bulls' owner gave up the dogs, she would not press for further legal action. The man was not cited.
Molera said that technically, the dogs were on private property. "It's one large property with several houses on it."
A witness told officers the man had five more pit bull puppies in a shed behind his home.But Molera said no action was warranted as the dogs were confined and not involved in the mauling.
Her boss, Lt. Jose Peña, director of Animal Care and Control director, said dog owners expose themselves to felony charges if their pets become loose and do damage.
"People fear pit bulls, but it is not the animal," Peña said. "It's how people make the animal. They don't socialize the animal and instead make it mean and aggressive."
[Well, isn't that nice. The owner simply surrenders the adult pit bulls to be put down and he's got a whole shed of baby pit bulls to raise and let do the same thing in six months' time.]
He added that dog-on-dog killings are fairly rare in the county.
(Nogales International - Dec 2, 2011)
