Investigators said the dog, said to be a Labrador - pit bull mix name Kira, bit the woman on the neck and arm, in her backyard at her home on the 400 block of 1st Street.
The owner, who was interviewed by Seminole County deputies, told them he let his dogs out to go to the bathroom and noticed short time later that Kira was nowhere to be seen. The owner said he discovered Kira was next door and when he called her, she came back onto his property by crawling under the chain link fence that separates the two properties.
When he went to apologize for the dog being on his neighbor’s property, he found Meitzler in her backyard, laying on her back, suffering from dog bites.
Seminole County Animal Services responded to the scene to investigate and deal with the dog.
Animal Services Manager Morgan Woodward said the dog is 3 years old and was declared dangerous back in April after biting the victim’s adult daughter on her arms and legs. That incident took place at the same home on 1st Street on April 10.
Morgan said the dog was allowed to go back home after the classification, but the owner had to agree to keep the dog inside the home or locked in an outdoor pen.
If the dog was outside, she was supposed to be muzzled at all times, unless she was in a securely fenced area, under the direct supervision of her owner.
Meanwhile, the incident is still under investigation. However, according to the sheriff’s office incident report, the dog will be euthanized once it is confirmed she is the same dog that bit the victim’s adult daughter last month.
Below is a full statement from Morgan:
Seminole County Animal Services responded to a call from the Sheriff's Office regarding a dog bit which took place at 294 1st Street in Geneva. At approximately 10:55am, an Animal Services Officer arrived on scene. After the officer's initial investigation, it was determined the bite may have been inflicted by the neighbor's dog named "Kira."
Kira is a 3 year old, spayed, pit/lab mix which was deemed dangerous by the Animal Control Authority back in April. "Kira" was allowed to return home after being declared as "Dangerous" under Florida Statute 767.12. The dog owner was educated about the requirements to keep a dangerous dog and complied with the certificate of registration for a dangerous dog and paid all applicable fees.
Animal Services is continuing to investigate the bite to determine if Kira was the dog involved in the incident. The owner has surrendered Kira to Animal Services. Kira is now being observed and care for at the Seminole County Animal Shelter pending the investigation.
(13NEWS - May 23, 2013)
