NEW MEXICO -- A walk to a friend’s house ended with a helicopter flight to an Albuquerque hospital and 37 stitches in the arms, legs and throat for a 12-year-old Ranchos de Taos resident who was mauled by two dogs Dec. 26, according to Sheriff Miguel Romero.
The boy, who has not been publicly identified pending the completion of a law enforcement report, was reportedly walking down a driveway shared by the canines’ owner and another residence when he was attacked by the pair of Rottweilers owned by Carl Velarde.
This was not law enforcement’s first encounter with Velarde’s Rottweilers.
The 41-year-old Ranchos de Taos resident was cited March 20 after his dogs allegedly attacked another animal on a neighbor’s property.
The shared driveway off Camino Abajo de la Loma West was inside the boundary of an “underground fence” for the Rottweilers, the sheriff said, noting that the shock collars worn by each dog had been inspected by animal control officers on a previous occasion.
But the shock collars did nothing to protect people or other animals on the shared driveway.
It was a neighbor who heard his screams that saved the boy, according to Sheriff Romero. The unidentified woman chased away the two dogs and called for help, he said.
The boy was flown to UNM Hospital in Albuquerque where he was recovering and undergoing physical therapy, the sheriff said Monday (Dec. 30). He was expected to be discharged no later than the middle of the week, he added.
Animal control officers issued Velarde two citations following the incident. The dog owner was cited for violations of county codes regarding dangerous animals and animals biting a person. Both offenses are petty misdemeanors.
Following the March 20 incident, Velarde entered a plea of not guilty in Taos County Magistrate Court and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled June 13. That hearing was rescheduled June 17 and again July 16 due to prior obligations on the part of both the defense and prosecution.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice at the July 16 hearing. Judge Jeff Shannon noted in court documents that the animal control officer who issued the citations failed to appear at the hearing.
After the Dec. 26 incident, the Rottweilers were immediately taken into custody by the sheriff’s department.
Court records indicate Velarde relinquished ownership of the canines. The dogs were transported to Stray Hearts Animal Shelter, Taos Humane Society officials confirmed Thursday.
County attorneys won a motion in magistrate court Friday morning (Dec. 27) to have the dogs killed.
The motion describes Camille and Katie as posing “an ongoing danger to the community.”
Previously cited
◾March 20: Carl Velarde was cited for dogs running at large and dogs biting an animal after his Rottweiler's allegedly attacked a neighbor's pet.
◾June 13: Pre-trial hearing scheduled in Taos County Magistrate Court regarding Velarde's citations on March 20. His attorney and the animal control who issued the citations requested the hearing be rescheduled due to prior commitments.
◾June 27: Velarde's attorney was on vacation and requested the pre-trial hearing be rescheduled.
◾July 13: Judge Jeff Shannon dismissed the case due to a failure to prosecute because the animal control officer who cited Velarde in March did not appear at the pre-trial hearing.
(taosnews - Jan 3, 2014)
This was a terrible Animal Control breakdown....Electric fences fail all the time and the A/C Officer who was AWOL for the previous court hearing needs to be fired.
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