Officer David Bower, the city police department's animal control officer, confirmed the news Thursday. The dog was pegged as the Monday night attacker by the victim and owner of the two injured dogs, Paul Locurto, and a bystander to the attack.
"It took a weight off my shoulder," Locurto said of the capture.
The family's online "go fund me" campaign, has skyrocketed from $300 to over $2,000 in the past 24 hours. Locurto said anonymous donations in amounts up to $500 have rolled in overnight.
"My heart goes out to everybody who gave, every little bit counts," Locurto said. "Thank you Niagara Falls."
The dog had neither identification tags nor a microchip that would have identified its ownership. It is currently housed at the SPCA of Niagara facility on Lockport Road.
The dog, which Bower described as a "pit bull mix," was discovered by a woman in the 400 block of Fifth Street who was able to transport the dog. When it became clear the dog sought to attack other animals in the house, Bower said, she reported it to the police as a stray.
"As far as people go, he wasn’t trying to eat anybody," Bower said. "He was only animal aggressive."
Bower said that the "vast majority" of animal aggressive dogs he encounters are of no danger to humans and will often appear friendly. Bower said the dog showed "no indication it had been fought before," and was likely the result of prior mistreatment or improper socialization as a puppy.
"Nine times out of ten, if they’re bred and not socialized the right way, if they’re not cared for right or mistreated, it just transpires like that," he said.
SPCA Director Amy Lewis said the dog is currently "quarantined," not because of his animal aggression but because he bit a human. That will last 10 days, at which point the dog's aggression will be evaluated. If no owner steps forward, Lewis said, the dog will become property of the SPCA. After the evaluation, decisions will be made about where's the dog's future will be.
"We are a no-kill facility, but I don’t feel comfortable placing a dog in a home that could harm other animals or people," Lewis said. "His history will certainly have to be taken into account."
The canine, a 50-pound black and white pit bull mix, attacked Locurto and his dogs outside Locurto's home, directly adjacent to Niagara Falls City Hall in Main Street's 700 block.
Chico, a chihuahua, lost his eye. Edie, a Jack Russell terrier, remains hospitalized with a broken shoulder blade and 74 staples spread across her upper torso. Locurto helped fend off the animal and sustained a bite to his hand, cuts and bruises.
A neighbor, alerted to the incident by screams and yelps, assisted Locurto in finally chasing the dog off.
"Edie is still at the vet, but she's improving," Locurto said Thursday. "She's still in a lot a pain, it’s slow progress, but she’s progressing every day."
The family's funding campaign can be found at www.gofundme.com/css3ygjc.
(Niagra Gazette - Feb 11, 2016)
Earlier:
No comments:
Post a Comment