Criminal charges unlikely in mauling of Palo Alto donkey

CALIFORNIA -- Criminal charges, while possible, aren't expected in the mauling of a popular Palo Alto donkey, a city official said Friday.

Perry, who was a model for Donkey in the computer-animated movie "Shrek," was seriously injured Nov. 6 when an unleashed German shepherd mix got into his enclosed pasture near Bol Park.

The 18-year-old miniature donkey suffered serious bites to his jaw, belly and legs, and had to be hospitalized at the Peninsula Equine Medical Center in Menlo Park for several days. The same dog got loose and attacked Perry on Sept. 25, but the injuries weren't as severe.

Perry's companion, a 28-year-old standard donkey named Miner 49er, was not seriously harmed in either encounter.

Caretaker Inge Harding-Barlow of Palo Alto stands with
Miner 49er, age 18, and Perry, then age 8, at a
private pasture next to Bol Park in Palo Alto.

Animal-on-animal attacks are usually handled through civil channels, said Connie Urbanski, acting superintendent of Palo Alto Animal Services. However, an investigation is ongoing and she wasn't prepared to completely rule out the possibility of criminal charges Friday.

Urbanski deemed the dog dangerous following the most recent attack and police Chief Dennis Burns agreed. The owners were given the option of either having the dog euthanized or removed from the city. They chose the latter.

In response to community outrage over the attacks, Urbanski urged compassion for the owners of the dog. They didn't set out to hurt Perry and their carelessness has cost them a family member, she said.

"As awful as it is, there are multiple sides," Urbanski said. "No one wanted this to happen."

The dog's owners paid Perry's medical bills in the first attack and are expected to do so again, Urbanski said.

[A Reckless Endangerment charge seems appropriate at this point. Most dog owners get out of criminal liabilty b/c they claim they didn't know their dog was capable of such things, that it hadn't ever done anything like this before... this owner cannot say this.]

Local indie pop band The Corner Laughers is also conducting a fundraiser to help defray costs. All proceeds of the "To the Donkeys of Barron Park EP," which features a song that mentions the donkeys, will go to a fund for the donkeys' food, shelter and veterinarian care.

Perry, meanwhile, was doing better Friday, said head handler Bob Frost. Veterinarian Gary Haines gave him some anti-inflammatory medication, which helped stimulate his typically voracious appetite.

"It scared me for a while. He was so passive," Frost told The Daily News. "He was peppier today."

(Contra Costa Times - Nov 17, 2012)