California: Pit bull euthanized following its 2nd recorded attack in Riverside

CALIFORNIA -- An adult male pit bull that bit a woman Wednesday, Jan. 4, and may have charged a woman a month ago, was euthanized Thursday, Jan. 5.

The owner of the dog relinquished the animal after the second attack, which happened in the area of Sierra Vista Avenue and Pierce Street, said Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.

Welsh said that Riverside County Department of Animal Services officers were called to that area Wednesday night after a woman suffered puncture wounds to her left knee.

He said the woman was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for her injuries and released.

Two dogs, both pit bulls, were at the scene.

Welsh said at that time, since the incident was fairly minor, the dogs were quarantined to the property they came from and left in the care of their owner.
However, after a morning briefing, it was determined that the male dog in the bite attack might be the same dog in a Dec. 10 charging incident in which a woman was injured.

After being visited by animal control officers Thursday, the dog's owner relinquished ownership. It was euthanized the same day.

The other dog at the scene of the bite attack, a female, did not show any aggression and was left with her owner, Welsh said.

“The victim herself said the female, or the smaller of the two dogs, did not exhibit any aggression toward her,” Welsh said.

Welsh said the pit bulls’ owner is facing about $1,000 in fines because neither of the dogs had been fixed, neither had been vaccinated for rabies and neither had been micro-chipped.

He said the dog owner could reduce the fees if she has those things done to the female dog.

(PE.com - Jan 5, 2017)