Texas: Yesenia Garza charged with animal cruelty for starving her pit bull

TEXAS -- A woman has been arrested on an animal cruelty charge after a severely malnourished young pit bull was found by local authorities.

Yesenia Garza, 37, was charged Wednesday with cruelty to non-livestock animals, failure to provide care at about 5:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of Saguero Lane.

  

Laredo Animal Control had called police to notify them of an animal cruelty case on Saguero in East Laredo. LPD reports state that a pit bull had no food and “little to no water,” according to police.

Investigator Joe E. Baeza, LPD spokesman, said officers “could see the dog’s bones (protruding) through his skin.”

(Laredo Morning Times  - Apr 30, 2015)

Texas: Lubbock man, Robert Earl Smith, arrested on animal cruelty charge after kitten slammed onto ground

TEXAS -- A 21-year-old Lubbock man was arrested on an animal cruelty charge after police say he slammed a 3-month-old kitten onto the ground.

Officers responded to reports of a domestic disturbance about 4:25 p.m. Wednesday in the 2100 block of East Fourth Street, said Lt. Ray Mendoza, a spokesman with the Lubbock Police Department.

A woman involved in the incident and the suspect, Robert Earl Smith, had been dating for a while, Mendoza said.

“There was some kind of disturbance between them two and (Smith) slammed the cat onto the concrete driveway or roadway,” Mendoza said.

Police described the cat’s condition after it was injured and although those details are too graphic to report, Mendoza said the cat was injured badly enough that it had to be euthanized.

Mendoza said Smith left the scene of the incident Wednesday afternoon.

“When he was trying to leave, the officer followed him to the library over there and went in and found him in the restroom,” he said.

Smith was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon on the animal cruelty charge, which is a state jail felony. He was being held on $10,000 bond.

(LubbockOnline.com  - Apr 30, 2015)

New Mexico: Chaves Co. dairy workers charged after undercover cow abuse video

NEW MEXICO -- Four dairy workers have been charged with animal cruelty in connection to an animal activist group's undercover video showing the abuse of cows  at Winchester Dairy in Chaves County last fall.

According to court documents, Cesar Morales-Iniguez and Stephen Toublefield are each facing three counts, Luis Urbie Lira is facing two counts and Jesus Espinoza is charged with one count of animal cruelty.

"Mercy for Animals," the group behind the video, says an undercover investigator filmed workers punching, kicking, whipping and even shocking cows' genitals. The group also filmed workers dragging cows with tractors.

Mercy for Animals said the Winchester Dairy cows were denied veterinary care.

The dairy fired all employees and identified the alleged offenders in the video to law enforcement, according to the Associated Press.

Winchester Dairy produces milk for Leprino Foods, the world's largest producer of mozzarella cheese and a supplier to major pizza chains like Pizza Hut and Domino's.

Last Monday, Leprino Foods announced a new animal welfare policy for its dairy suppliers.

By Dec. 31, 2016, all suppliers must keep a safe and sanitary environment, provide pain relief during disbudding/dehorning and give appropriate veterinary care to animals.

(KOB 4 Albuquerque - Apr 30, 2015)

Three Alaskan men arrested after they surrounded a baby moose and kicked, punched, and stabbed it to death

ALASKA -- Three men have been accused of stabbing a young moose to death at a park in Alaska's largest city, and police said witnesses reported seeing the men punching the animal and walking away.

The men were arraigned Wednesday in the death of the yearling moose near a bike trail in Anchorage's Russian Jack Springs Park. All three were arrested on charges of animal cruelty, wanton waste of big game and tampering with evidence.

Three witnesses called police shortly before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to report the moose under attack. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Shorey, in charging documents, made no mention of a possible motive.

  

Witness Don Brooks told officers he saw three men in a swampy area "punching" a moose. He yelled at them to stop, and saw them walk toward a park chalet, he said. Two others gave similar accounts to police.

“The witnesses say they observed the three men jumping on the moose, kicking it and stabbing it with a large knife,” a statement from APD says.

Police found the after the yearling moose was found with “several lacerations” and “large tufts of hair pulled from its body.”

"There were multiple deep cuts that appeared to be slashing cuts on the left ribcage as well as apparent puncture wounds to the neck," Shorey wrote.

Police found the three suspects near the park chalet and saw blood on one man's jacket, Shorey wrote. None of the men were carrying knives.

Police using a dog tracked the men's route from the chalet toward the area where they had been seen by witnesses.

The police dog, a K9 named Diesel, alerted officers to a large concrete pipe and police found three knives inside: a hunting knife in a brown leather sheath, a serrated "dagger style" knife in a black leather sheath and a multi-tool in a leather sheath, Shorey said. The hunting knife had blood on it.

The suspects, Johnathan Candelario, 25, James Galloway, 28, and Nick Johnston, 33, were handed charges Wednesday in an Anchorage courtroom. The men covered their faces with legal documents to avoid being photographed and were told their rights and that they would be represented by the Alaska Public Defender's office.

Bail for Candelario and Johnston was set at $10,000 with an additional $2,500 cash performance bond and a requirement for a third-party custodian. Bail for Galloway, who has no criminal convictions in Alaska, was set at $5,000.

Candelario and Johnston told District Judge Alex Swiderski they did not have jobs, assets or phones. Galloway said he had earned less than $600 in the last six months and also had no phone. Swiderski appointed the public defender's office to represent them.

 

 

A local charity recovered the remains of the moose to salvage the meat, police spokeswoman Anita Shell said.

Moose are a common sight in Anchorage, and on rare occasions have charged at humans. The massive animals, however, generally coexist peacefully with humans and their pets.

Shell said she could not recall a moose attacked in the same way in her 25 years with the department.

"Certainly, people have defended themselves against moose if they're being trampled," Shell said. "But I've never seen anything like this."

“If the allegations are true, it’s highly disturbing and I’ve never seen anything like it in my 50 years of living here in Anchorage,” said Ken Marsh, spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

(TwinCities.com - April 29, 2015)

Massachusetts: Falmouth man, Brendan Medeiros, charged with animal cruelty

MASSACHUSETTS -- A Falmouth man faces animal cruelty charges following his arrest Wednesday.

According to a Falmouth police release, officers were dispatched to the area of Sandwich and Percival Roads around 5:09 p.m. for the report of an intoxicated man.

As officers were en route, additional calls came in reported that the man had punched and kicked a dog.

Officer arrived to find 34-year-old Brendan Medeiros of East Falmouth sitting in his driveway with the dog. As the officers spoke with Medeiros he reportedly became agitated and is alleged to have threatened officers, saying he would release a second dog on the property to do them harm, police said.

As officers attempted to take Medeiros into custody, he reportedly resisted and a taser was deployed. 

Medeiros was transported to the Falmouth Police Station where he was booked and charged with cruelty to an animal, assault with a dangerous weapon (dog), resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Medeiros was arraigned in Falmouth District Court Thursday.

(Cape Cod Today - April 29, 2015)

North Carolina: Dare County couple, Carla Gallop and Jim Oesting, guilty of animal cruelty

NORTH CAROLINA -- A couple was found guilty of animal cruelty Tuesday after allegations they neglected their nine horses.

Dare County Animal Services and volunteers from the U.S. Equine Rescue League removed the horses from Carla Gallop and Jim Oesting's property in January.

On Tuesday the defendants were found guilty on all counts of animal cruelty, ordered to surrender 8 of the 9 horses and pay restitution of $3,000 to the Outer Banks SPCA.

The Outer Banks SPCA offered to waive the $3,000 restitution to gain custody of the final horse. At that time the defendants denied the offer and appealed the judgement. The next day, the defendants revoked the appeal and agreed to surrender the final horse in lieu of paying the restitution.
Statement from Outer Banks SPCA:

 

While restitution was important to the Outer Banks SPCA, our mission was always first and foremost to save the lives of these 9 horses and to see the defendants found guilty. Our community has been extremely supportive of our actions since the beginning, for which we are extremely thankful and we hope to continue to earn that support.

(13newsnow.com - Apr 29, 2015)

Earlier:

• SPCA: 9 emaciated horses rescued in Dare County

Connecticut: Animal abuse suspect, Jacqueline Carraway, appears in court

CONNECTICUT -- The case for a Middletown city employee accused of starving her dog was continued on Wednesday morning.

Jacqueline Carraway, who works for the Middletown youth services division, was arrested on animal cruelty charges on March 20. The arrest comes after her dog, Channing, was found barely alive.

At the time, police called it the worst case of an emaciated dog they've ever seen.

"Every bone in his body was visible," Middletown Police Lt. Heather Desmond previously told Eyewitness News. "You could see the outline of every single rib, vertebrae, shoulder blade."

However, animal control officers spent countless hours nursing him back to health and he has "recovered nicely," Desmond said.

Over the weekend, animal control received numerous applications to adopt the dog. They are hoping to have the paperwork completed this week to send Channing to a new home.

Her dog has recovered and will be up for adoption

(WFSB - April 29, 2015)

Earlier:

• Connecticut: Police arrest Jacqueline Carraway in 'worst case' of starving a dog

Minnesota: Kathy Doenz to serve 90 days in jail in animal cruelty case

MINNESOTA -- Editor’s note: It was previously reported in last week’s Pioneer that Kathleen Doenz would spend no time in jail after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges. This was based on a misreading of court documents and was incorrect.

Kathleen Doenz, 66, who pled guilty on April 13 to  one count of felony overworking, mistreating and/or torturing animals, will serve 90 days in Pine County Jail, be on probation for five years and may potentially be required to pay tens of thousands of dollars in restitution to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office.

Irene Carlson, 87, Doenz’s mother, will not be jailed but will also be placed on five years probation after pleading guilty to charges against her.

The charges stem from a Sept. 12, 2013 search warrant that resulted in the seizure of over 100 animals: horses, dogs, ducks and chickens in the care of Doenz and Carlson. Many of the animals were allegedly malnourished to the point of starvation and made to live in filthy conditions.

Animal cruelty law
 Pine County Attorney Reese Frederickson said he believes Minnesota law should be rewritten in order to offer more options when prosecuting animal cruelty offenses.

“You can have a grain of methamphetamine and be put on probation longer and convicted of harsher sentences than someone who’s convicted of a felony animal cruelty count,” Frederickson explained.

“I always felt that there should probably be stricter penalties, at least a higher severity level ranking than what they do now in that matter. So what happens in cases like this, which seem pretty egregious, you have hundreds of animals seized, and the best you can do is a felony and probation.”

Frederickson said there are examples of tougher animal cruelty laws that Minnesota can follow.

“I know there are groups out there who are trying to [change the laws],” he said. “Minnesota’s kind of in its infancy when it comes to these laws and cases. Surprisingly, even a lot of states in the south are ahead of Minnesota when it comes to that. I think Georgia is one of the leading places that is on top of animal cruelty laws.”

Felony could be lifted, restitution possible
Another wrinkle in the deal Doenz made in exchange for a guilty plea is that, if she goes five years without a criminal offense, the felony conviction will be taken off her criminal history.

“If she successfully completes probation it’s deemed a misdemeanor for criminal history purposes,” Frederickson said. “But for other purposes, including for other cases, she is still deemed a convicted felon.”

But Frederickson said that after Doenz and Carlson are sentenced the Pine County Sheriff’s Office will be able to seek restitution from Doenz and Carlson for expenses.

“Part of the animal cruelty statute states that an offender is liable to restitution to a county that’s expended money feeding the animals,” he said.

As previously reported, the Pine County Sheriff’s Office spent a reported $40,000 for the care and feeding of the animals rescued from Doenz and Carlson.

Doenz and Carlson face sentencing in Pine County Court on June 23 at 1:30 p.m.

(Presspubs.com - April 30, 2015)

Earlier:

• Starving horses, dogs, birds rescued from ‘gut-wrenching’ filth in Pine County
• Another 32 animals seized from Pine County woman
• Doenz, Carlson plead guilty to animal abuse

Florida: Wayward bull get amorous with sheriff deputy's patrol car

FLORIDA -- Talk about getting caught in the act -- and that is a bunch of bull.

A wayward bull damaged a woman's car and a deputy's cruiser in an Alachua County neighborhood Monday while apparently looking for love.

A photo posted to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office Facebook page shows the bull mounting the cruiser.

"This morning around 9:15, deputies responded to the 21400 block of NE 12th Avenue to a report of a bull out and in a yard. Here is a picture from that call. Apparently, the bull wanted to stay out longer..... Just another day at the Sheriff's Office!!!"

The woman's car sustained extensive damage, and the deputy's cruiser was scratched.

No one was injured in the incident.

As of Monday afternoon, the bull's owner had not been located.  If no one comes forward to claim the animal, it will be sold at auction.

(Click Orlando - April 28, 2015)

Dogs maul Fulton County woman

GEORGIA -- Even John Ketchersid says his neighbors tried to keep their dogs under control.

"They were doing their level best to keep those dogs inside the pen, in a safe are," he says.  "They wanted to keep our neighborhood safe from any possible issues."

It didn't work.

Kethcersid's wife was mauled by the two dogs, nearly losing her life in the attacks.

  

 

The story begins on Sunday, April 19, along Westmont Avenue, in Fulton County, when an animal control officer was at the home of Ketchersid's neighbors.

They had put their two dogs on tethered chains, to keep them from running loose.

"They were told, by animal control, that they had to take the dogs off the chains," says Ketchersid.  "She told them that if she took the dogs off the chains they were going to get out, because they can climb the eight foot fence like it's nothing."

So, he says, the dog’s owner decided that, if she could not keep the neighborhood protected, she would give the dogs over to animal control.

"The animal control officer told her that if she did that it would be animal abandonment and we'd charge you," says Ketchersid.

The neighbors made efforts to keep the dogs penned in, but it didn't matter.  And just two days later, it had tragic consequences.

A fight had broken out in the dog’s pen between some of the puppies that were there.  Ketchersid's wife heard the commotion and went to see what was going on.  What she did not know is that both adult dogs were out.

"My sister was with her and she told my sister to go tell the neighbor," says Ketchersid.  "She went to the house and heard my wife say 'Oh God.'

 

"When she turned around she saw the male dog was already on her (his wife)," says Ketchersid.  "The make was attacking my wife and, as soon as she hit the ground, the female attacked."

Ketchersid says that, while the dog’s owner went to get a hose, his sister laid across his wife, protecting her from the dogs.

"She covered her and was hammer fisting the dogs," says Ketchersid.  "That's what protected my wife's head and throat."

Ludmila Ketchersid was taken to Grady Hospital with severe injuries to the back of her head, her arms and, especially, her left leg.

"Her leg looked like it had gone through a spiral slicer, literally," he says.

She's at the hospital, about to undergo her third surgery since the attack. She still cannot walk but she is now able to stand.

As for the dogs, they are locked up by animal control, under observation for rabies.

Animal control says there are rules concerning the caging of animals, but they have not elaborated.

Ketchersid is at his wife's bedside at Grady, bringing her strawberry shakes and fighting back tears.

"She's Russian and she's tough," he says.  "Me?  Well, I just wish I had her strength."

(WSBRadio - April 28, 2015)

Pit bull debate sparks dog fight in Dayton, Kentucky

KENTUCKY --Molly and Diamond aren't welcome in Dayton, Kentucky.

Right now, the two-year-old dogs are staying in undisclosed locations in Northern Kentucky.

Otherwise the city of Dayton would confiscate them for violating its ban on pit bulls.

Their owner, Robert Wade, wants to bring them back to his home on Eighth Avenue in Dayton. More than 3,200 other people seem to want the same and have signed an online petition to overturn Dayton's ban on pit bulls.

"They tore the wall down in Russia, communism, it went down," Wade said. "So they said. They opened that (expletive) up and extended it over here. Next year you're going to tell me my truck is two different colors so I can't drive."

Molly and Diamond earlier this week seemed to enjoy a walk with their owner at Frederick's Landing park in Wilder, unaware they were the center of the latest local battle between cities and pit bulls.

Both dogs look like pit bulls, but Wade maintains Diamond is a boxer mix with a jet black coat and Molly is a white pit bull mix who's deaf. Wade said he keeps them inside or enclosed in his yard and they've never attacked anyone.

Pit bull laws locally crept back into the headlines last year after a 6-year-old Westwood girl was attacked by a pit bull. Cincinnati City Council ultimately opted not to require special collars for pit bulls as proposed by Mayor John Cranley.

Many other cities in the area do have laws banning or restricting pit bulls. Fort Thomas bans pit bulls. Newport requires pit bull owners to have special insurance coverage and a microchip implanted in the dog with the owner's information.

But nationally, cities are starting to ease restrictions on these dogs. More than 100 cities across the United States over the past two years have overturned bans and other restrictions that target pit bulls, according to a report by USA Today.

Will Dayton, Kentucky join the list?

Wade's fight to keep his dogs began a week ago when a resident complained to Mayor Virgil Boruske that the dogs were "jumping on the fence."

Wade said the dogs were inside the house and were simply barking. The city's animal control officer visited Wade told him he couldn't keep his dogs in the city.

Since then, the dogs have stayed elsewhere. Wade received a harsh reminder Tuesday on what would happen if he brought his dogs back in the city when the city served a notice to confiscate the dogs.

The dogs, however, weren't there. While Wade claims one of them, Diamond, isn't a pit bull, the city has deemed them both as having the properties of a pit bull.

"They think they're lap dogs," Wade said. "They're like my kids."

Boruske said he's simply following the law.

"We've got to uphold the ordinance," Boruske said. "They cannot be in town. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."

Wade believes he's being unfairly targeted because a friend of the mayor's complained. He and his neighbors said they've seen police cars parked outside his house in the past week to make sure he doesn't bring the dogs back.

Boruske said that's not true. He wouldn't reveal the identity of the complainant but said it's not favoritism.

Boruske stands by the city's pit bull ban. He voted for it as a city council member in 2006.

"They are aggressive animals," Boruske said.

Those gathering the petition believe breed-specific laws are unfair and want the city council to repeal the law. Lisa Rittenhouse, a neighbor of Wade's, started the petition.

So far, more than 3,200 people signed the petition as of Friday She hopes to have 5,000 signatures to present to city council at its next meeting May 5. Though many of the signatures are from outside Dayton, she hopes the petition will spur the city to change the law to define vicious dogs by behavior not breed.

"I have a boxer, and I'm afraid that if all the bigger dogs get a bad rap, it's just going to start going down the line," Rittenhouse said. "I know pit bulls have a bad reputation, but so did Dobermans in the 1990s. In the '80s it was Rottweilers."

Haha, she read that online. I'm surprised she didn't throw in about them being nanny dogs and the dog from the Little Rascals. And she forgot to mention the story where a poodle or golden retriever attacked her and authorities "wouldn't do anything".

Boruske said he's not in favor of lifting the ban, but other members of city council are more open to the idea. Vice Mayor and City Councilman Ben Baker said he's undecided on whether the law should change and will talk to other cities with pit bull bans before the next council meeting on May 5.

"I'm undecided on it," Baker said. "I do believe breed-specific laws are somewhat archaic. I believe every dog owner should be a responsible dog owner."

(Cincinnati.com - April 24, 2015)

Taped up boxes containing 17 kittens and seven cats found dumped on roadside

UNITED KINGDOM -- Seventeen kittens and seven cats have been found after they were shamelessly abandoned and dumped by a roadside in two taped-up boxes.

Five of the youngest were dead and another kitten and adult cat have died since they were found - they appear to have been purposefully trapped in the cardboard box.

The youngest kittens were only several days old and the oldest are between five to six weeks. Two of these were pregnant when they were callously thrown away.

  

They were all taken into the care of the St Neots and District Cats Protection in Cambridgeshire.

Since arriving, one female has given birth to three more kittens and another female is heavily pregnant with kittens due imminently.

The helpless animals were seen being dumped by a driver on the side of the road in Sandy, Bedfordshire .

Cats Protection volunteer Anna Partin said: 'It is a big shock to see so many cats abandoned like this.
'Luckily we work closely with other branches so we are able to care for them all until we can re-home them.

'We would obviously like to find the owner, because dumping animals is illegal and we would like to find the person responsible.

 

'Cats do breed at a prolific rate so it can be easy to find yourself in this situation. We are urging people to go to a charity instead of abandoning them if they cannot cope.

'This also shows the importance of getting your cats neutered.'

The kittens and cats will be available for re-homing in a few weeks.

(Daily Mail - April 24, 2015)

OC Animal Care locates owner of dog that attacked horses, rider in O'Neill park

CALIFORNIA -- Investigators with Orange County’s animal care agency say they have located a person believed to be the owner of a dog that attacked three horses and a rider in O’Neill Regional Park last month.

OC Animal Care had been seeking the identity of the dog’s owner since the March 27 attack. The name of the owner and the dog’s whereabouts won’t be made public until an investigation is complete, said Jennifer Hawkins, the agency’s chief veterinarian and interim director.

“We are grateful to the local communities that responded to our pleas for information,” Hawkins said. “This information has led us to a person we believe to be the dog owner.”

 

Officials say the owner was identified from a picture taken by Helga Thordarson, after her rare Icelandic horse Tyr was among three horses and a rider attacked during an outing on Live Oak Trail at the Trabuco Canyon wilderness park.

Thordarson posted the picture on her Facebook timeline following the attack as a heads-up for her friends and neighbors who ride at O’Neill.

The photo has more than 1 million views after it was shared from her timeline by a fellow Facebook user.

“The story and photo obviously struck some kind of chord,” she said. “We continue to receive messages of support, as well as lots of unsolicited assistance in the search for this dog owner.”

“Social media was unequivocally helpful and – while I was taken by surprise and astonished at the magnitude and passion of the public response - we are immensely grateful for all the help we have received,” Thordarson added.

Tyr escaped the dog – described as an off-leash white and brown-boxer-mix – but the dog chased the 15-year-old gelding to the bottom of the trail.

Thordarson followed and caught up with her horse. Once reunited, four women hiking with the suspected dog came toward her. She asked for the owner’s contact information; when a woman refused to provide it, she snapped a picture of the group.

The attack left two of the three horses wounded and put rider Sandie Weaver of San Juan Capistrano in the hospital.

  

 

Weaver is on the mend but Oska, her 22-year-old mare is looking at a lengthier recovery. She sustained deep tissue damage which in some cases are life threatening said Paul Wan, a equine veterinarian at Equine Veterinary Specialists in Norco. He is treating the horse.

“There are vital structures on horses legs that can be damaged,” he said. “Sometimes we have to put those horses down because they become lame.”

Thordarson has been back on the same trail with Tyr. She encountered several dogs but the horse hasn’t shown any trauma following the attack.

“He’s been well-adjusted since then,” Thordarson said. “That’s not something one would expect given the severity of the attack.”

Thordarson said she noticed an improvement in dogs being on leashes in areas of the park where they’re allowed. She’s also noticed better cooperation among equestrians, hikers and bikers.

(OC Register - April 27, 2015)

Earlier:

• Woman hurt, several horses bitten after dog attack in Trabuco Canyon

Ohio: Seven year old boy attacked by uncle's pit bull mix

OHIO -- A 7-year-old boy was flown to Nationwide Children's Hospital after he was viciously bitten in the face by a relative's dog Sunday night, according to Lancaster police.

"He's a strong little boy, and he's going to be fine," said Ashley Robinson, the boy's mother, on Monday.

Police reported that the boy, identified as Cole Robinson, looked down at the dog and it bit him on his face around 7:15 p.m. Sunday. Police responded to an apartment in the 400 block of O'Gara Avenue where the attack occurred, and a helicopter landed in Miller Park to fly the boy to Columbus for treatment.

Robinson said her son has had two surgeries and is doing well. Hospital officials said Cole is in fair condition.

Robinson said Cole could be released in the next couple of days and he is in better condition than people have rumored. One of the rumors, Robinson said, is that Cole lost his eye from the attack, but that isn't true. She said the surgeries were meant to fix the cuts he sustained on his face.

As for the dog, the Fairfield County Dog Shelter responded to the apartment to collect it. On Monday, dog shelter officials declined to comment on the case, saying the investigation is ongoing and they have yet to speak to the victim's mother.

By looking at the pictures, police said it appears to be an American pit bull terrier mix.

Robinson told the Eagle-Gazette that the dog belongs to a family member and does not have a history of aggression.

"(The dog) was a puppy, and he grew up with my little boy," she explained, adding that to her knowledge, her son did nothing to provoke the dog and she isn't sure why the dog attacked him.

"We're still trying to put it all together," she said.

(Lancaster Eagle Gazette - April 27, 2015)

Pit bull bites 3 people in Aloha; owner cited

OREGON -- An Aloha woman was cited for having a dangerous dog after her pit bull bit three people Tuesday afternoon.

Animal control officers took the dog into custody.

Deputies responded to a 911 call about an aggressive dog that had bitten several people near Southwest 196th Avenue and Farmington Road. The caller, 41-year-old Reed McClintock, said he was trapped on top of a neighbor's car.

McClintock told KGW the dog bit him three times before he called for help. He climbed onto the car and started screaming at the dog to keep its attention on him.

"I knew we couldn't have the dog running crazy in the neighborhood," he said. "I felt bad bleeding all over the lady's car."

 

According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office incident report, the dog attacked a 15-year-old boy who was walking on 196th Avenue. The dog bit the boy on his knee.

A neighbor told investigators he saw the attack and ran to help the boy. He suffered a deep bite to his right thigh, according to the report.

McClintock said he heard barking, saw what was going on from his deck and started recording the incident on his cellphone. He went to help when he saw neighbors trying to get control of the dog.

The dog bit McClintock on his ankle, hand and wrist.

"The bites were more like warning bites from the dog," said McClintock. "Because the kid that the dog belonged to was trying to contain his dog. I was telling the kid how to get control of his dog, but he was just not big enough to do it."

When deputies arrived, they found the 10-year-old boy holding the pit bull around its neck.

McClintock was standing on a car nearby and told the deputies the dog would attack them if they got out of their car.

The boy lost control of the dog and it charged at the deputies, according to the report. One deputy shocked the dog with a Taser and it ran to a nearby house.

Washington County Animal Control officers arrived and took the dog into custody.

The dog owner, Angela Jovel Mendez, told investigators her dog usually stays inside. The dog escaped through a hole on her property, she said.

Animal control officers cited Mendez for having a dangerous dog.

The dog was quarantined for 10 days, according to the incident report.

"I'm not angry at the dog for its behavior. It's a dog," said McClintock. "I think there's a problem any time someone has a dog that can be aggressive and they don't do something about it."

(kgw.com - Apr 23, 2015)