MASSACHUSETTS -- Yuliya Bilzerian and her 18-month-old son are recovering from serious wounds they suffered following an attack by three American bulldogs on the property of her father-in-law, Kenneth Bilzerian, where she lived off State Road in Tisbury on Saturday night.
Ms. Bilzerian, 28, who is pregnant, was airlifted to Boston as a precautionary measure to receive treatment for a puncture wound to the head and neck. Her young son was treated in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital emergency room for a significant bite wound to his leg. There was no immediate information on their condition Tuesday.
Tisbury Animal Control Officer (ACO) Laurie Clements ordered the three dogs quarantined and restrained on the property for 10 days under the custody of Mr. Bilzerian. Ms. Clements told The Times Monday she would not request a dog hearing before selectmen, because Mr. Bilzerian told her he planned to remove the animals.
Ms. Clements said the owner is complying with the quarantine orders. She said she believes the three dogs are brothers, and only one is neutered. Ms. Clements said she was going to go to the selectmen with the order to have the dogs neutered, but that the owner has decided to “get rid of the dogs.” She said she will not be requesting a hearing because of that decision.
“He knows he has to get rid of the dogs,” Ms. Clements said. “But I don’t know if he’s going to euthanize, or try to rehome them, or find a no-kill shelter, or what he’s going to do, but I know he’s going to re-home them all.”
Reached Tuesday by phone, Mr. Bilzerian said he did not want to comment.
Tisbury town administrator Jay Grande told The Times on Tuesday that he has asked Ms. Clements to provide him with a fuller report so he can understand why the dogs were left with the owner and what, if any, town bylaws were violated.
In a conversation Wednesday, Mr. Grande said he expects to meet with Ms. Clements next Monday. He said he considers the attack a serious issue of public safety.
Mr. Grande said he wants to know why Ms. Clements determined that the dogs could be safely quarantined at home with the owner. “I still have my own questions as to whether that was the right decision,” he said.
Taser drawn
When Tisbury Police Officers Liz Hourihan and Jeremy Rogers arrived at the house at 8:30 pm, Mr. Bilzerian was attempting to restrain one of his dogs on the ground and fend off another by swinging a piece of lumber, according to the police report. Another dog was restrained inside a truck.
Officer Rogers unholstered his Taser.
“I attempted to close the distance between myself and the dog to an effective range at which to deploy the Taser, but as I approached the dog it began to move toward me as Mr. Bilzerian yelled for it to stop,” Officer Rogers said in his report. “In order to avoid provoking the dog, I backed away and holstered my Taser.”
As Mr. Bilzerian tried to control his dogs, Officer Rogers said, “the white dog began moving away from Mr. Bilzerian, and I circled back toward the direction it was walking. As the dog began walking toward me, I informed Mr. Bilzerian that I may be required to shoot the dog if it could not be contained and became violent again. Mr. Bilzerian repeatedly asked me not to shoot the dog, and he stated he could contain them if he could get a leash.”
Officer Rogers retrieved two leashes in the garage. While Officer Rogers held the now leashed black dog that Mr. Bilzerian had been restraining on the ground, Mr. Bilzerian leashed the white dog and took it into the main house.
Officer Hourihan, who had been attending to Ms. Bilzerian, joined by Sergeant Chris Habekost, who had also arrived, “illuminated the area with flashlights at which time we were able to see the black dog was covered in blood on its muzzle, chest, head, and legs,” according to the police report.
Mr. Bilzerian told the officers that the dogs had been fighting with one another as well as attacking Ms. Bilzerian and her son.
ACO Laurie Clements also arrived at the house.
According to the police report, the woman and her son were walking toward the garage when she encountered the large black bulldog, and startled, she screamed.
“The large black dog then reportedly bit Mrs. Bilzerian’s son in the right calf, causing severe injury. Mrs. Bilzerian subsequently covered her son with her body and sustained bites to her right thigh, right calf, left side of her neck, scalp, and abdomen; it should be noted Mrs. Bilzerian is 27 weeks pregnant,” Officer Rogers said in the police report. “At this time Mr. Bilzerian stated he saw his other two dogs, American bulldogs, run from the main house, approximately 50 to 70 feet away, and engage with the large black dog.”
Mr. Bilzerian ran from the house and jumped into the melee to protect his daughter-in-law and grandson. He first removed one dog and secured it. “After several attempts to separate the other two dogs from Mrs. Bilzerian, he was able to drag them away and into the field where I located him upon my arrival,” Officer Rogers said in his report.
Show no fear
Tom Shelby, who writes the “Dogfather” column published in The Times and is an experienced dog trainer, said that while he couldn’t speak directly to the incident in Tisbury without hearing from the victims, he has experienced his share of dog aggression.
“In reality, the dog is not nearly as bold as people think,” Mr. Shelby said. “It’s when the people respond fearfully, that’s what emboldens the dog.”
Mr. Shelby said whenever a human feels intimidated by a dog, the best response is not to show that fear. He said that in general, it is best not to yell, run, or turn your back on the dog — even if it’s growling, air snapping, or coming closer. Doing so elicits a predatory aggression in the dog.
“When it gets within three or four feet, within one quick lunge it could bite you — that’s broaching the critical distance,” he said. “At that point I would actually suggest the person act aggressive and half-lunge toward the dog, yelling, ‘Get out of my face!'”
He said that if a person is faced with a standoff with a dog, keep walking backward, facing the dog. The same recommendation should be applied to bicyclists. He said that when intimidated by a dog while on a bicycle, it’s best to stop and keep the bicycle as a barrier between you and the dog.
“The thing not to do is yell and run,” Mr. Shelby said. “Be calm, keep walking backward, and threaten it if it gets too close.”
If the dog attacks regardless, Mr. Shelby said there are two possible responses.
“Go neutral without going down,” he said. “Literally don’t fight, don’t yell, stand at a 45-degree angle, and if the dog bites and you don’t respond, in a great majority of cases the dog is going to cease and desist.”
Because that’s a very tough response for a fearful human, he said the other option is to fight the dog with all you have.
Mr. Shelby did agree that the dogs should have been neutered.
“You get the testosterone out of the system, and it generally decreases the aggression,” Mr. Shelby said. “It’s really that simple.”
He said he’s been called in many cases of aggression to assess the situation.
“It’s not an easy thing to deal with,” he said. “It’s really not.”
(Martha's Vineyard Times - June 16, 2015)
Showing posts with label american allaunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label american allaunt. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Crazy jury trials: Casey Anthony, OJ Simpson, Dutch the vicious dog
COLORADO -- A three-woman jury Friday acquitted a military veteran of owning a vicious dog, the Montrose Daily Press reports.
The case of Jeremiah Aguilar and his dog, Dutch, had garnered national interest, and 308,304 people signed an online petition to prevent the American Allaunt from being euthanized.
Dutch [viciously attacked and mauled] a Montrose woman in November. After the attack, the Montrose Municipal Court ruled the dog be put down. The order to destroy the dog was stayed while Aguilar appealed to the county court.
[They forgot to mention that he ran off with the dog and tried to hide it.]
Aguilar's acquittal saved Dutch's life, according to Montrose City Attorney Steve Alcorn, who said the pair have been reunited and will be leaving the state.
According to Aguilar, the dog [viciously attacked and mauled] the woman — who was also Dutch's former owner — only after being struck. However, the woman claims she was attacked after trying to break up a fight between Dutch and another dog.
Aguilar registered Dutch TO BE A service dog AFTER the attack [in an attempt to garner sympathy].
(Denver Post - Aug 23, 2013)
The case of Jeremiah Aguilar and his dog, Dutch, had garnered national interest, and 308,304 people signed an online petition to prevent the American Allaunt from being euthanized.
 |
| Free to maul again |
[They forgot to mention that he ran off with the dog and tried to hide it.]
Aguilar's acquittal saved Dutch's life, according to Montrose City Attorney Steve Alcorn, who said the pair have been reunited and will be leaving the state.
According to Aguilar, the dog [viciously attacked and mauled] the woman — who was also Dutch's former owner — only after being struck. However, the woman claims she was attacked after trying to break up a fight between Dutch and another dog.
Aguilar registered Dutch TO BE A service dog AFTER the attack [in an attempt to garner sympathy].
(Denver Post - Aug 23, 2013)
Earlier:
- Ignoring victim's $24,000 in medical bills, owner quickly gets dog declared a 'service dog' in attempt to save its life
- City Provides Information About Vicious Animal Case
- Dog sentenced to death
- Judge says no reprieve for attack dog
- Supposed "service dog" now "missing" after court-ordered euthanasia
- Montrose Man Behind Bars Following Dog Attack Dispute
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Montrose Man Behind Bars Following Dog Attack Dispute
COLORADO -- It's a case we've been following for you since the incident happened and now, the owner of a Dutch is behind bars.
Dutch is the dog accused of attacking a woman in Montrose, his owner has finally surrendered on an arrest warrant, but the fate of his pet remains unknown.
According to the Montrose Country Sheriff's Office, 28-year-old Jeremiah Aguilar turned himself in Monday.
An arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear at an earlier hearing.
Aguilar, who appealed the conviction, was ordered to euthanize Dutch after the dog bit his brother's fiancee several times in November.
Aguilar was expected to turn Dutch over to animal control but has failed to do that.
Aguilar is scheduled to return to court June 6.
(KREX News Channel 5 - May 29, 2013)
Earlier:
Dutch is the dog accused of attacking a woman in Montrose, his owner has finally surrendered on an arrest warrant, but the fate of his pet remains unknown.
According to the Montrose Country Sheriff's Office, 28-year-old Jeremiah Aguilar turned himself in Monday.
 |
| Anyone can buy these dog vests online |
An arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear at an earlier hearing.
Aguilar, who appealed the conviction, was ordered to euthanize Dutch after the dog bit his brother's fiancee several times in November.
Aguilar was expected to turn Dutch over to animal control but has failed to do that.
Aguilar is scheduled to return to court June 6.
(KREX News Channel 5 - May 29, 2013)
Earlier:
- Ignoring victim's $24,000 in medical bills, owner quickly gets dog declared a 'service dog' in attempt to save its life
- City Provides Information About Vicious Animal Case
- Dog sentenced to death
- Judge says no reprieve for attack dog
- Supposed "service dog" now "missing" after court-ordered euthanasia
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Supposed "service dog" now "missing" after court-ordered euthanasia
COLORADO -- A dog that was scheduled court-ordered euthanasia after attacking its former owner is now missing after a Montrose man refused to turn the animal over to authorities.
This week, Jeremiah Aguilar, the owner of a 107-pound American Allaunt named Dutch, ignored Municipal Judge Richard Brown’s order to hand over the dog to Montrose Animal Control. As of Friday, Animal Control authorities said the dog had gone "missing".
[Throw his butt in jail until he coughs up the dog.]
Brown issued the order after expressing his disappointment not only in the attack, but in an Internet smear campaign that followed. He says the several online reports inaccurately depicted the attack, blaming the victim for provoking the dog without any substantiated evidence.
The whole ordeal leading to Brown’s euthanasia order began on Nov. 14, when Dutch’s former owner, whose name has not been released due to safety precautions, was watching Dutch while Aguilar was out.
According to court documents, Dutch, who the victim had raised and owned for two years, got into a fight with one of her dogs. When Dutch failed to heed her warnings, the victim struck him with a tiki torch, which broke after a single strike.
The victim said she then grabbed Dutch’s leash and restrained him. But shortly after taking him back into the house and beginning to wipe the blood of his nose, Dutch pounced on the victim, pinning her to the ground and biting he repeatedly for 10 to 15 minutes, according to her testimony.
After the victim escaped and locked herself in a room, Dutch repeatedly head-butted the door, trying to break it down. When he was unsuccessful, Dutch took his frustration out on the home’s furniture, destroying several items.
The victim was left with a compound fracture of her wrist and a severed artery that led to nearly $30,000 in medical bills, according to court documents.
Aguilar argued the victim provoked the attack by striking Dutch with a metal pole, but the court ruled there was no evidence to prove those claims.
Brown did not blame Aguilar for starting the Internet smear campaign against the victim, but he did say Dutch’s owner did little to quell a “lynch-mob mentality” that spawned against the victim.
According to KKCO, that campaign appears to have been spurred by the website DogHeirs.com, where a writer claimed the victim beat Dutch, who then attacked out of self defense.
Thousands shared the story on Facebook and over 270,000 signed an online petition called “Save Dutch the Service Dog.” Similarly, 22,591 people liked the Facebook page “Save Dutch,” which has since been taken down.
Brown did not agree with the Internet depictions of the victim, calling them “incomplete” and “misleading.”
For example, Internet reports suggested Dutch was a longtime service dog for Aguilar, a veteran who suffers from PTSD. However, court documents revealed that Dutch did not become a registered service dog until after the attack.
The complications surrounding the attack don’t end there.
The victim is engaged to be married to Aguilar’s brother Joe, and if the marriage goes forward, the victim would be an aunt to Aguilar’s child. Aguilar’s brother and the victim testified that the attacks waged against the victim over various websites were not only hurtful but frightening, with Joe often sleeping with a gun for protection.
According to the the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Aguilar is planning to appeal the decision to euthanize Dutch, as well as his $500 fine and two-day jail sentence.
(KDVR - February 22, 2013)
This week, Jeremiah Aguilar, the owner of a 107-pound American Allaunt named Dutch, ignored Municipal Judge Richard Brown’s order to hand over the dog to Montrose Animal Control. As of Friday, Animal Control authorities said the dog had gone "missing".
[Throw his butt in jail until he coughs up the dog.]
Brown issued the order after expressing his disappointment not only in the attack, but in an Internet smear campaign that followed. He says the several online reports inaccurately depicted the attack, blaming the victim for provoking the dog without any substantiated evidence.
The whole ordeal leading to Brown’s euthanasia order began on Nov. 14, when Dutch’s former owner, whose name has not been released due to safety precautions, was watching Dutch while Aguilar was out.
According to court documents, Dutch, who the victim had raised and owned for two years, got into a fight with one of her dogs. When Dutch failed to heed her warnings, the victim struck him with a tiki torch, which broke after a single strike.
The victim said she then grabbed Dutch’s leash and restrained him. But shortly after taking him back into the house and beginning to wipe the blood of his nose, Dutch pounced on the victim, pinning her to the ground and biting he repeatedly for 10 to 15 minutes, according to her testimony.
After the victim escaped and locked herself in a room, Dutch repeatedly head-butted the door, trying to break it down. When he was unsuccessful, Dutch took his frustration out on the home’s furniture, destroying several items.
The victim was left with a compound fracture of her wrist and a severed artery that led to nearly $30,000 in medical bills, according to court documents.
Aguilar argued the victim provoked the attack by striking Dutch with a metal pole, but the court ruled there was no evidence to prove those claims.
Brown did not blame Aguilar for starting the Internet smear campaign against the victim, but he did say Dutch’s owner did little to quell a “lynch-mob mentality” that spawned against the victim.
According to KKCO, that campaign appears to have been spurred by the website DogHeirs.com, where a writer claimed the victim beat Dutch, who then attacked out of self defense.
Thousands shared the story on Facebook and over 270,000 signed an online petition called “Save Dutch the Service Dog.” Similarly, 22,591 people liked the Facebook page “Save Dutch,” which has since been taken down.
Brown did not agree with the Internet depictions of the victim, calling them “incomplete” and “misleading.”
For example, Internet reports suggested Dutch was a longtime service dog for Aguilar, a veteran who suffers from PTSD. However, court documents revealed that Dutch did not become a registered service dog until after the attack.
The complications surrounding the attack don’t end there.
The victim is engaged to be married to Aguilar’s brother Joe, and if the marriage goes forward, the victim would be an aunt to Aguilar’s child. Aguilar’s brother and the victim testified that the attacks waged against the victim over various websites were not only hurtful but frightening, with Joe often sleeping with a gun for protection.
According to the the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Aguilar is planning to appeal the decision to euthanize Dutch, as well as his $500 fine and two-day jail sentence.
(KDVR - February 22, 2013)
Earlier:
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Judge says no reprieve for attack dog
COLORADO -- A tale of two nightmares was heard Thursday in Municipal Court.
In the defendant's chair sat Jeremiah Aguilar — a veteran who said he is on 100-percent disability from post-traumatic stress — fighting for the life of the dog he said is his saving grace. He sat with a bowed head when Judge Richard Brown announced he would not change a previous order of euthanization.
At the opposite end of the table sat the woman that Dutch, an American Allaunt, attacked and severely injured on Nov. 14, 2012, while she was caring for him at her home.
In a breaking voice, she, too, told of post-traumatic stress, saying she experiences it due to the attack and threats received after Dutch's story went viral last week.
The court had also received a raft of unpleasant communication, Brown said.
"I went through this horrific experience and almost lost my life," the woman said, breaking down.
"It's hurt me greatly, what they're putting me through. We're just really sad about this situation. It's hard that I almost lost my life, and then to be treated this way ... I just want this over so I can go on with my life."
Her finger, which Dutch bit hard enough to break and inflict tendon damage, was still in a brace. Photos from the court file showed the extent of bites to her upper thigh and backside. Her medical bills topped $28,000, it was said in court.
Evidence at a January trial established that the woman had broken up a dog fight and that Dutch repeatedly attacked her after he was taken inside, Brown said.
Aguilar maintains that his dog was provoked. "He's not what they say he is," Aguilar said, disputing Animal Control's finding that Dutch is vicious and dangerous.
Thursday's hearing was held for purposes of sentencing Aguilar and so the judge could hear mitigating — and aggravating — factors as to Dutch.
Brown said nothing presented justifies reversing the previous order.
Aguilar was told to surrender Dutch to Animal Control, but because he is appealing to Montrose County Court, euthanasia is not imminent.
Aguilar had not turned over the dog as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Animal Control Supervisor Mike Duncan said. Aguilar did not immediately return a message left Thursday evening.
Aguilar was also fined $500, with $250 suspended. He was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and was sentenced to 20 days in jail, with 18 suspended.
Aguilar is further prohibited from making Internet postings concerning the victim.
The case captured worldwide attention last week after a story on a dog advocacy website went viral. The initial story, which since has been updated, portrayed the victim as a dog beater and Dutch as a service dog who was defending himself.
More than 200,000 people have signed online petitions in support of Dutch.
But the portrayal doesn't match the facts, Brown said. Dutch was not a service dog at the time of the attack, and he bit the woman — a former owner who had raised him as a puppy — repeatedly after he was separated from the other dog and taken inside.
"I understand that emotions have become very high. You would have to be a complete village idiot not to know what's going on," Brown said.
"This was not defensive behavior," Animal Control Officer Christine Gibson told the court, describing the intensity of the attack.
Contrary to what some have opined, Dutch was not in fear of his life by the time he began biting the woman, she said.
The woman was watching Dutch for Aguilar when a fight broke out in the yard between Dutch and her dog, Artex. She said she had to hit Dutch with her hands and then hit him with a flimsy tiki torch pole to break it up.
Once she got him inside, she tried to clean him up, and he lunged, biting her in the thigh down to the bone, it was said in court.
Per official reports: The woman attempted to take refuge in her room, but fell, and Dutch leapt on top of her, biting her buttock and again hitting bone. It was in prying his jaws loose that the woman's finger was bitten and broken.
She was able to get free, barricade herself in her bedroom and call her fiancé — telling him to be ready to use his gun — while Dutch repeatedly rammed himself against the door and reportedly attacked furniture.
Defense attorney Amy Ondos repeatedly questioned why the victim called her fiancé rather than 911. The woman has said she feared for the safety of first responders, according to Animal Control.
"I have nightmares, visions of me dead on the floor," she said.
Dutch was "unsatisfied" when he couldn't get at Artex, she said, but he hadn't tried to bite her until they were inside the house and she went to clean blood off him.
When he bit her the second time, she could feel him "tugging," she said.
"I couldn't budge. He had all his weight on me. I saw myself dead on the floor. ... He was not going to stop. I'm lucky I got away," the woman said.
Gibson said temperament testing Aguilar obtained for Dutch after the incident is more accurately behavioral testing. True temperament testing takes place repeatedly, over an extended period, she said.
Ondos later asked Gibson whether she had extensive exposure to Dutch, and she said no.
Defense witness James Kohout of Canine Manners said he put Dutch through several tests in a five-hour period Tuesday. At no point did Dutch act aggressively, even when Kohout pretended to beat him; instead, he acted playfully or hid behind Aguilar.
In a live test for a TV station, Kohout approached Dutch threateningly with a metal stick. "He just acted like he wanted to play with the stick," Kohout said. Dutch even took a treat that the TV reporter held in her mouth, he said.
"At this point, the dog should've aggressed. I stand by my statement that this is not a vicious dog," Kohout said.
Aguilar said the dog is vital to getting him through post-traumatic stress episodes, including severe nightmares.
He said that on Wednesday, he had to be admitted to the hospital because he was so anxious over Dutch that he passed out.
"It was the thought of having to have him put down," Aguilar said. "I had an anxiety attack. ... I felt my head was going to explode."
Losing Dutch would be like losing a family member, he said.
"Have you thought about the injuries to the victim?" City Attorney Russ Duree asked.
Aguilar said he feels bad for the woman and has nothing against her. He and his wife even helped her immediately after the attack, he said.
Brown said many aspects of the case are troubling, including criticism of the woman's actions.
"None of us were there, were we? I find no fault in the victim here," he said.
The court could not be convinced that Internet reports were true, he said.
"What seems to have come across is that the victim savagely and mercilessly beat the dog for no reason at all," Brown said.
"The impression created on the Internet is far different than reality. You (Aguilar) didn't do it, but people have done it for you. What's been created is a lynch mob mentality."
Brown said he didn't see a lot of remorse in Aguilar, and that some of the things others put online come perilously close to witness intimidation, which in Colorado is chargeable as a felony.
He called the Internet postings an effective pre-emptive strike that played on the public's love of veterans and animals, and which further cast the victim as having deserved what happened.
"This is a classic example of a lynch mob mentality created on the Internet," Brown said.
No one likes euthanasia and "only once in a blue moon" does he receive such a recommendation, the judge added.
He paused for a full minute to demonstrate how slowly time can pass when one is being attacked. The woman's ordeal had lasted several minutes, he said.
"I know you want me to take a chance on Dutch. Believe me, I understand that every time we're dealing with an animal, we're dealing with a family pet," Brown said.
It would be an "easy out" to allow Aguilar to take Dutch to Oklahoma, he said.
"I'm not willing to take that risk. It could very well be that nothing will ever happen again, but there's absolutely no assurance that it won't," the judge said.
Ondos said she will appeal the decision. The process can take months.
(Montrose Press - Feb 15, 2013)
Earlier:
In the defendant's chair sat Jeremiah Aguilar — a veteran who said he is on 100-percent disability from post-traumatic stress — fighting for the life of the dog he said is his saving grace. He sat with a bowed head when Judge Richard Brown announced he would not change a previous order of euthanization.
At the opposite end of the table sat the woman that Dutch, an American Allaunt, attacked and severely injured on Nov. 14, 2012, while she was caring for him at her home.
In a breaking voice, she, too, told of post-traumatic stress, saying she experiences it due to the attack and threats received after Dutch's story went viral last week.
The court had also received a raft of unpleasant communication, Brown said.
"I went through this horrific experience and almost lost my life," the woman said, breaking down.
"It's hurt me greatly, what they're putting me through. We're just really sad about this situation. It's hard that I almost lost my life, and then to be treated this way ... I just want this over so I can go on with my life."
Her finger, which Dutch bit hard enough to break and inflict tendon damage, was still in a brace. Photos from the court file showed the extent of bites to her upper thigh and backside. Her medical bills topped $28,000, it was said in court.
Evidence at a January trial established that the woman had broken up a dog fight and that Dutch repeatedly attacked her after he was taken inside, Brown said.
Aguilar maintains that his dog was provoked. "He's not what they say he is," Aguilar said, disputing Animal Control's finding that Dutch is vicious and dangerous.
Thursday's hearing was held for purposes of sentencing Aguilar and so the judge could hear mitigating — and aggravating — factors as to Dutch.
Brown said nothing presented justifies reversing the previous order.
Aguilar was told to surrender Dutch to Animal Control, but because he is appealing to Montrose County Court, euthanasia is not imminent.
Aguilar had not turned over the dog as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Animal Control Supervisor Mike Duncan said. Aguilar did not immediately return a message left Thursday evening.
Aguilar was also fined $500, with $250 suspended. He was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and was sentenced to 20 days in jail, with 18 suspended.
Aguilar is further prohibited from making Internet postings concerning the victim.
The case captured worldwide attention last week after a story on a dog advocacy website went viral. The initial story, which since has been updated, portrayed the victim as a dog beater and Dutch as a service dog who was defending himself.
More than 200,000 people have signed online petitions in support of Dutch.
But the portrayal doesn't match the facts, Brown said. Dutch was not a service dog at the time of the attack, and he bit the woman — a former owner who had raised him as a puppy — repeatedly after he was separated from the other dog and taken inside.
"I understand that emotions have become very high. You would have to be a complete village idiot not to know what's going on," Brown said.
"This was not defensive behavior," Animal Control Officer Christine Gibson told the court, describing the intensity of the attack.
Contrary to what some have opined, Dutch was not in fear of his life by the time he began biting the woman, she said.
The woman was watching Dutch for Aguilar when a fight broke out in the yard between Dutch and her dog, Artex. She said she had to hit Dutch with her hands and then hit him with a flimsy tiki torch pole to break it up.
Once she got him inside, she tried to clean him up, and he lunged, biting her in the thigh down to the bone, it was said in court.
Per official reports: The woman attempted to take refuge in her room, but fell, and Dutch leapt on top of her, biting her buttock and again hitting bone. It was in prying his jaws loose that the woman's finger was bitten and broken.
She was able to get free, barricade herself in her bedroom and call her fiancé — telling him to be ready to use his gun — while Dutch repeatedly rammed himself against the door and reportedly attacked furniture.
Defense attorney Amy Ondos repeatedly questioned why the victim called her fiancé rather than 911. The woman has said she feared for the safety of first responders, according to Animal Control.
"I have nightmares, visions of me dead on the floor," she said.
Dutch was "unsatisfied" when he couldn't get at Artex, she said, but he hadn't tried to bite her until they were inside the house and she went to clean blood off him.
When he bit her the second time, she could feel him "tugging," she said.
"I couldn't budge. He had all his weight on me. I saw myself dead on the floor. ... He was not going to stop. I'm lucky I got away," the woman said.
Gibson said temperament testing Aguilar obtained for Dutch after the incident is more accurately behavioral testing. True temperament testing takes place repeatedly, over an extended period, she said.
Ondos later asked Gibson whether she had extensive exposure to Dutch, and she said no.
Defense witness James Kohout of Canine Manners said he put Dutch through several tests in a five-hour period Tuesday. At no point did Dutch act aggressively, even when Kohout pretended to beat him; instead, he acted playfully or hid behind Aguilar.
In a live test for a TV station, Kohout approached Dutch threateningly with a metal stick. "He just acted like he wanted to play with the stick," Kohout said. Dutch even took a treat that the TV reporter held in her mouth, he said.
"At this point, the dog should've aggressed. I stand by my statement that this is not a vicious dog," Kohout said.
Aguilar said the dog is vital to getting him through post-traumatic stress episodes, including severe nightmares.
He said that on Wednesday, he had to be admitted to the hospital because he was so anxious over Dutch that he passed out.
"It was the thought of having to have him put down," Aguilar said. "I had an anxiety attack. ... I felt my head was going to explode."
Losing Dutch would be like losing a family member, he said.
"Have you thought about the injuries to the victim?" City Attorney Russ Duree asked.
Aguilar said he feels bad for the woman and has nothing against her. He and his wife even helped her immediately after the attack, he said.
Brown said many aspects of the case are troubling, including criticism of the woman's actions.
"None of us were there, were we? I find no fault in the victim here," he said.
The court could not be convinced that Internet reports were true, he said.
"What seems to have come across is that the victim savagely and mercilessly beat the dog for no reason at all," Brown said.
"The impression created on the Internet is far different than reality. You (Aguilar) didn't do it, but people have done it for you. What's been created is a lynch mob mentality."
Brown said he didn't see a lot of remorse in Aguilar, and that some of the things others put online come perilously close to witness intimidation, which in Colorado is chargeable as a felony.
He called the Internet postings an effective pre-emptive strike that played on the public's love of veterans and animals, and which further cast the victim as having deserved what happened.
"This is a classic example of a lynch mob mentality created on the Internet," Brown said.
No one likes euthanasia and "only once in a blue moon" does he receive such a recommendation, the judge added.
He paused for a full minute to demonstrate how slowly time can pass when one is being attacked. The woman's ordeal had lasted several minutes, he said.
"I know you want me to take a chance on Dutch. Believe me, I understand that every time we're dealing with an animal, we're dealing with a family pet," Brown said.
It would be an "easy out" to allow Aguilar to take Dutch to Oklahoma, he said.
"I'm not willing to take that risk. It could very well be that nothing will ever happen again, but there's absolutely no assurance that it won't," the judge said.
Ondos said she will appeal the decision. The process can take months.
(Montrose Press - Feb 15, 2013)
Earlier:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Dog sentenced to death
COLORADO -- A dog that mauled his former owner will be euthanized and his current owner jailed for two days, a judge ordered Thursday after taking note of an Internet campaign that whipped up a “lynch-mob mentality” against the victim.
Municipal Judge Richard Brown ordered the Montrose County Animal Services Department to hold the dog, Dutch, pending a promised appeal by Dutch’s owner, Jeremiah Aguilar.
Brown took pains several times during sentencing to point out that he wasn’t accusing Aguilar, a U.S. Army veteran, of conducting the Internet campaign to save Dutch and savage the victim by suggesting she beat Dutch until the dog attacked her. He also noted, though, that while money was being solicited on behalf of Dutch and Aguilar, none was being solicited on behalf of the injured woman.
The medical expenses for the victim amounted to $28,028.95, Brown said.
Though he found no reason to believe that Dutch had been trained to attack, Brown fined Aguilar $500 and ordered jail because of “the utter lack of remorse you have for the victim.”
Aguilar and his attorney, Amy Ondos, had no comment. Ondos was researching the proper venue for an appeal of the municipal court ruling, she said.
Brown on Jan. 17 ordered the dog euthanized after he found Aguilar guilty of harboring a vicious animal.
On Thursday, he also ordered Aguilar to pay $1,000 in restitution, the maximum amount under municipal jurisdiction.
Brown also acknowledged the “unique family situation” connecting Aguilar to the victim. Aguilar’s brother, Joe, is engaged to her. Aguilar alluded to that as well, telling Brown that his wife dressed the victim’s wounds and that if the marriage went forward, she would be his children’s aunt.
“I desensitized everything” about the attack, Aguilar told the judge. “I feel bad and I don’t wish any of this on her or anybody.”
He defended Dutch, a 107-pound American Allaunt, as “not what they’re saying he is.”
He took Dutch to a Department of Veteran Affairs medical center in Oklahoma City for training as a service dog after the attack, Aguilar said.
The dog’s presence calms him, Aguilar told Brown.
Attacks on the victim on various websites were frightening and deeply hurtful, the victim said, noting that they affected her relationship with her fiance—Joe Aguilar—as well.
Joe Aguilar, whom she never identified as Jeremiah Aguilar’s brother—sometimes slept with a gun when he was particularly worried about threats posted on websites or other locations, she said.
The victim’s hand was still in a brace as a result of the attack, which resulted in a compound fracture and severing of an artery, inflicted in the attack by a dog “that I used to love,” she said.
Brown recounted the testimony of the trial that detailed how the victim was alone in the house when Dutch got into a fight with another dog, a pit bull.
Dutch wouldn’t respond when she called him off, even though she had owned him for two years and raised him from a pup, the victim said.
He paid no attention when she hit him with a tiki pole, which snapped on contact, Brown said.
Grabbing Dutch’s leash, she hauled him back into the house and was wiping clean his bloodstained muzzle when Dutch attacked her, Brown said.
The dog forced the victim to the ground and bit her repeatedly and to the bone in some cases for several minutes until she fled to the bedroom.
Dutch repeatedly tried to break in the door and, when he was unable to, damaged several items of furniture, Brown said.
At one point in recounting the series of events, Brown went silent, letting a minute tick off the clock to demonstrate a fraction of the time under which the woman was under Dutch’s attack, a length the victim said she could only estimate as 10 to 15 minutes.
Brown said he expected the victim’s Internet critics would complain “that you didn’t have a stopwatch” to time the incident.
All of the victim’s wounds were inflicted from behind, putting to lie the notion that she was attacking the dog, Brown said.
“It was a prolonged attack,” he said, and had a child been involved, “We would be talking about a death.”
(Daily Sentinel - Feb 14, 2013)
Earlier:
Municipal Judge Richard Brown ordered the Montrose County Animal Services Department to hold the dog, Dutch, pending a promised appeal by Dutch’s owner, Jeremiah Aguilar.
Brown took pains several times during sentencing to point out that he wasn’t accusing Aguilar, a U.S. Army veteran, of conducting the Internet campaign to save Dutch and savage the victim by suggesting she beat Dutch until the dog attacked her. He also noted, though, that while money was being solicited on behalf of Dutch and Aguilar, none was being solicited on behalf of the injured woman.
 |
| During a Montrose court hearing Thursday morning, the victim, center, of a vicious dog attack last November still wears a brace on her hand that sustained a compound fracture and the severing of an artery |
The medical expenses for the victim amounted to $28,028.95, Brown said.
Though he found no reason to believe that Dutch had been trained to attack, Brown fined Aguilar $500 and ordered jail because of “the utter lack of remorse you have for the victim.”
Aguilar and his attorney, Amy Ondos, had no comment. Ondos was researching the proper venue for an appeal of the municipal court ruling, she said.
Brown on Jan. 17 ordered the dog euthanized after he found Aguilar guilty of harboring a vicious animal.
On Thursday, he also ordered Aguilar to pay $1,000 in restitution, the maximum amount under municipal jurisdiction.
Brown also acknowledged the “unique family situation” connecting Aguilar to the victim. Aguilar’s brother, Joe, is engaged to her. Aguilar alluded to that as well, telling Brown that his wife dressed the victim’s wounds and that if the marriage went forward, she would be his children’s aunt.
“I desensitized everything” about the attack, Aguilar told the judge. “I feel bad and I don’t wish any of this on her or anybody.”
He defended Dutch, a 107-pound American Allaunt, as “not what they’re saying he is.”
He took Dutch to a Department of Veteran Affairs medical center in Oklahoma City for training as a service dog after the attack, Aguilar said.
The dog’s presence calms him, Aguilar told Brown.
Attacks on the victim on various websites were frightening and deeply hurtful, the victim said, noting that they affected her relationship with her fiance—Joe Aguilar—as well.
Joe Aguilar, whom she never identified as Jeremiah Aguilar’s brother—sometimes slept with a gun when he was particularly worried about threats posted on websites or other locations, she said.
The victim’s hand was still in a brace as a result of the attack, which resulted in a compound fracture and severing of an artery, inflicted in the attack by a dog “that I used to love,” she said.
Brown recounted the testimony of the trial that detailed how the victim was alone in the house when Dutch got into a fight with another dog, a pit bull.
Dutch wouldn’t respond when she called him off, even though she had owned him for two years and raised him from a pup, the victim said.
He paid no attention when she hit him with a tiki pole, which snapped on contact, Brown said.
Grabbing Dutch’s leash, she hauled him back into the house and was wiping clean his bloodstained muzzle when Dutch attacked her, Brown said.
The dog forced the victim to the ground and bit her repeatedly and to the bone in some cases for several minutes until she fled to the bedroom.
Dutch repeatedly tried to break in the door and, when he was unable to, damaged several items of furniture, Brown said.
At one point in recounting the series of events, Brown went silent, letting a minute tick off the clock to demonstrate a fraction of the time under which the woman was under Dutch’s attack, a length the victim said she could only estimate as 10 to 15 minutes.
 |
| Jeremiah Aguilar breaks down in tears Thursday morning after a Montrose municipal judge ruled that Aguilar’s dog, Dutch, must be euthanized after mauling a woman last November. Aguilar also was ordered to pay $500 and serve two days in jail because of “the utter lack of remorse you have for the victim,” Judge Richard Brown said. The victim, whose medical expenses are more than $28,000, has been threatened through an Internet campaign sympathetic to the dog, which the judge condemned. |
Brown said he expected the victim’s Internet critics would complain “that you didn’t have a stopwatch” to time the incident.
All of the victim’s wounds were inflicted from behind, putting to lie the notion that she was attacking the dog, Brown said.
“It was a prolonged attack,” he said, and had a child been involved, “We would be talking about a death.”
(Daily Sentinel - Feb 14, 2013)
Earlier:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
City Provides Information About Vicious Animal Case
COLORADO -- Several internet sites are presenting information about a Montrose Animal Services vicious animal case involving Dutch, an American Allaunt canine. Unfortunately, some of the information being circulated is either incomplete or incorrect.
While city officials respect the rights of individuals to express their opinions in this matter, they also caution the public to consider details of the incident that were revealed in Municipal Court, through physical evidence, and testimony of the victim and other witnesses.
On November 14, 2012, Montrose Animal Control officers were notified by Montrose Memorial Hospital that they were treating a female who had been attacked by a dog. The victim had sustained deep bite wounds to her buttock, thigh and hand.
The dog’s owner, Jeremiah Aguilar, had left the dog at the victim’s home while he was out of town. The victim, who was Dutch’s previous owner, responded to a commotion in her back yard and discovered that Dutch was involved in a fight with a pit bull. The victim struck Dutch with her hands in an unsuccessful attempt to free the pit bull. She then hit the dog once with a light-weight tiki torch pole, which immediately bent and was discarded. She was eventually able to pull Dutch away from the other dog, using the dog’s collar.
Dutch again attacked the other dog, biting it on the leg. The victim succeeded in pulling Dutch away and into her home where she released the dog. She began to clean blood from the dog’s face. The dog then bit the victim’s thigh, puncturing her thigh to the bone. She pried his jaws off of her thigh and attempted to run to safety in her bedroom. She tripped and fell before reaching the room. Dutch jumped on top of her and inflicted another deep bite wound to her buttock. While again attempting to free herself, she suffered a bite to her hand, severing an artery and causing a compound fracture to her middle finger.
The victim was able to break free and take refuge in the bedroom where she telephoned her fiancé to come to her aid. While waiting several minutes for his arrival the dog continued to attempt to enter the room and damaged several pieces of furniture in the home. The victim did not call the police or ambulance out of fear that the emergency responders would be attacked.
The victim’s fiancé and another man entered the home and observed Dutch sitting quietly on the floor. The same pit bull from the previous attack entered the home and Dutch again attacked the dog.
The second man hit Dutch repeatedly with a board from a broken picture frame to free the pit bull.
The victim’s fiancé was then able to enter the bedroom and provide assistance to the victim.
The case was reviewed by the City Attorney's office to determine whether the circumstances met the requirements of the ordinance. Based upon the evidence it was determined that the city should proceed with the prosecution. The case was heard in Montrose Municipal Court on January 17, 2013, and the dog’s owner was found guilty of violating the city’s vicious animals ordinance (City of Montrose Municipal Code, Section 6-2-9(A)).
Sentencing by Municipal Court Judge Richard Brown will occur on Thursday, February 14. The vicious animal ordinance contains several provisions to protect the public, which can be imposed at judge’s discretion. In addition, violations of the ordinance can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 or by imprisonment in jail for up to one year, or both.
Montrose Animal Services is operated by a professional staff who takes great pride in their work.
“I have been in this job for 15 years because I love to care for animals and protect them,” said Animal Services Supervisor Mike Duncan. “But my job also includes protecting the public, and I also take that part of my job very seriously.”
“In any vicious animal case, our primary concern is for the safety of anyone who may come in contact with the animal in the future. This is the worst incident of an animal attack that I have seen. In the dozens of vicious animal cases I’ve investigated, I have never seen a case where the animal was as aggressive in pursuing the victim multiple times.”
“Rehabilitation of the dog is one of the options in this case. The challenge is to try to predict how an animal will behave in the future, when it has already shown that it is capable of inflicting a vicious attack. It is easy to say that a dog won’t attack again. But if it does, the results, especially with a dog of this size, could be very serious, even life-threatening.”
(City of Montrose - Feb 13, 2013)
Earlier:
While city officials respect the rights of individuals to express their opinions in this matter, they also caution the public to consider details of the incident that were revealed in Municipal Court, through physical evidence, and testimony of the victim and other witnesses.
On November 14, 2012, Montrose Animal Control officers were notified by Montrose Memorial Hospital that they were treating a female who had been attacked by a dog. The victim had sustained deep bite wounds to her buttock, thigh and hand.
The dog’s owner, Jeremiah Aguilar, had left the dog at the victim’s home while he was out of town. The victim, who was Dutch’s previous owner, responded to a commotion in her back yard and discovered that Dutch was involved in a fight with a pit bull. The victim struck Dutch with her hands in an unsuccessful attempt to free the pit bull. She then hit the dog once with a light-weight tiki torch pole, which immediately bent and was discarded. She was eventually able to pull Dutch away from the other dog, using the dog’s collar.
Dutch again attacked the other dog, biting it on the leg. The victim succeeded in pulling Dutch away and into her home where she released the dog. She began to clean blood from the dog’s face. The dog then bit the victim’s thigh, puncturing her thigh to the bone. She pried his jaws off of her thigh and attempted to run to safety in her bedroom. She tripped and fell before reaching the room. Dutch jumped on top of her and inflicted another deep bite wound to her buttock. While again attempting to free herself, she suffered a bite to her hand, severing an artery and causing a compound fracture to her middle finger.
The victim was able to break free and take refuge in the bedroom where she telephoned her fiancé to come to her aid. While waiting several minutes for his arrival the dog continued to attempt to enter the room and damaged several pieces of furniture in the home. The victim did not call the police or ambulance out of fear that the emergency responders would be attacked.
The victim’s fiancé and another man entered the home and observed Dutch sitting quietly on the floor. The same pit bull from the previous attack entered the home and Dutch again attacked the dog.
The second man hit Dutch repeatedly with a board from a broken picture frame to free the pit bull.
The victim’s fiancé was then able to enter the bedroom and provide assistance to the victim.
The case was reviewed by the City Attorney's office to determine whether the circumstances met the requirements of the ordinance. Based upon the evidence it was determined that the city should proceed with the prosecution. The case was heard in Montrose Municipal Court on January 17, 2013, and the dog’s owner was found guilty of violating the city’s vicious animals ordinance (City of Montrose Municipal Code, Section 6-2-9(A)).
Sentencing by Municipal Court Judge Richard Brown will occur on Thursday, February 14. The vicious animal ordinance contains several provisions to protect the public, which can be imposed at judge’s discretion. In addition, violations of the ordinance can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 or by imprisonment in jail for up to one year, or both.
Montrose Animal Services is operated by a professional staff who takes great pride in their work.
“I have been in this job for 15 years because I love to care for animals and protect them,” said Animal Services Supervisor Mike Duncan. “But my job also includes protecting the public, and I also take that part of my job very seriously.”
“In any vicious animal case, our primary concern is for the safety of anyone who may come in contact with the animal in the future. This is the worst incident of an animal attack that I have seen. In the dozens of vicious animal cases I’ve investigated, I have never seen a case where the animal was as aggressive in pursuing the victim multiple times.”
“Rehabilitation of the dog is one of the options in this case. The challenge is to try to predict how an animal will behave in the future, when it has already shown that it is capable of inflicting a vicious attack. It is easy to say that a dog won’t attack again. But if it does, the results, especially with a dog of this size, could be very serious, even life-threatening.”
Earlier:
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Ignoring victim's $24,000 in medical bills, owner quickly gets dog declared a 'service dog' in attempt to save its life
COLORADO -- Conflicting stories have emerged about Dutch the dog. One paints the American Allaunt as an animal that viciously attacked a woman, while the other says the dog's life is at stake because he reacted to provocation.
Dutch bit a woman in Montrose last November. He faces possible euthanasia because of what authorities say took place, but his owner, veteran Jeremiah Aguilar is determined: He won't let that happen.
Aguilar says he isn't trying to make anyone look bad, but is pulling out all stops to save his companion, which since the incident has been trained as a service dog.
[We've all seen that to be called a 'service dog' doesn't really mean anything. Funny he didn't attempt to get the dog declared a 'service dog' until AFTER the attack. Exactly what service does it perform?]
"He's not a vicious dog," Aguilar said Friday. "That's what we're trying to fight. He's been ordered to be euthanized and I've been trying to prove the fact that he's not a vicious animal. ... He doesn't deserve to be euthanized. He was provoked."
Aguilar's case exploded Friday morning on social media. The Daily Press has been logging calls from as far away as Canada and Australia, and receiving Facebook messages about the matter. People have also begun sharing letter they are sending to city leadership.
An article posted on dogheirs.com website contains an allegation that Dutch had bitten the woman, a former owner, after she beat him.
[What they don't say in this story, that I read elsewhere is: "On November 14, 2012, Jeremy and Heather left Dutch with his former owner in Montrose, Colorado, while they drove a family member to the airport."]
The Montrose Police Department and Montrose Animal Control say, however, that the woman was breaking up a dogfight in which Dutch was the aggressor: After hitting him failed to faze the dog, she grabbed the pole from a tiki torch to force him off the other dog, then dragged him into her home. He bit the woman in her thigh as she was trying to clean blood from the fight off of him.
The bite sank to the bone, and she had to put her hands in his mouth to pry him off.
When she retreated toward her bedroom, she tripped, and Dutch attacked again, biting her buttock, again penetrating to the bone, authorities said.
When she tried to pry his jaws off her, Dutch bit her finger so hard it caused a compound fracture and severed an artery.
Dutch kept slamming his body into her bedroom door after she made it inside the room, bit furniture, and later attacked the other dog yet again, according to the police.
The woman's medical bill is about $24,000, Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said.
"She is fortunate to have escaped that attack with her life," said Animal Services Supervisor Mike Duncan. "She loved the dog, but she is very concerned for anyone who is going to be around that dog from now on."
Aguilar said he's dubious about some aspects of the woman's story, though he feels bad for her. He maintains his dog was provoked, and explained to the Daily Press steps he has taken to have the dog evaluated by professionals, none of whom view Dutch as vicious.
Dutch had a swollen snout and eye, Aguilar said. The pole the woman used "has blood caked all over it," he said. "All I know is I found a bloody pole in the yard."
Since the November incident, Aguilar has taken the dog to Oklahoma, where he resumed training him as a service dog. He has taken Dutch into public several times with no incidents.
"We're just trying to preserve his life and resume his training," Aguilar said.
Aguilar is due in Montrose Municipal Court on Feb. 14. He said animal control has recommended euthanization, and that he will appeal if that is ordered.
Duncan and Chinn said they could not comment on that detail because sentencing hasn't yet taken place.
(Montrose Press - Feb 8, 2013)
Dutch bit a woman in Montrose last November. He faces possible euthanasia because of what authorities say took place, but his owner, veteran Jeremiah Aguilar is determined: He won't let that happen.
Aguilar says he isn't trying to make anyone look bad, but is pulling out all stops to save his companion, which since the incident has been trained as a service dog.
[We've all seen that to be called a 'service dog' doesn't really mean anything. Funny he didn't attempt to get the dog declared a 'service dog' until AFTER the attack. Exactly what service does it perform?]
 |
| Would you want to cross paths with this 'service dog'? |
"He's not a vicious dog," Aguilar said Friday. "That's what we're trying to fight. He's been ordered to be euthanized and I've been trying to prove the fact that he's not a vicious animal. ... He doesn't deserve to be euthanized. He was provoked."
Aguilar's case exploded Friday morning on social media. The Daily Press has been logging calls from as far away as Canada and Australia, and receiving Facebook messages about the matter. People have also begun sharing letter they are sending to city leadership.
An article posted on dogheirs.com website contains an allegation that Dutch had bitten the woman, a former owner, after she beat him.
[What they don't say in this story, that I read elsewhere is: "On November 14, 2012, Jeremy and Heather left Dutch with his former owner in Montrose, Colorado, while they drove a family member to the airport."]
The Montrose Police Department and Montrose Animal Control say, however, that the woman was breaking up a dogfight in which Dutch was the aggressor: After hitting him failed to faze the dog, she grabbed the pole from a tiki torch to force him off the other dog, then dragged him into her home. He bit the woman in her thigh as she was trying to clean blood from the fight off of him.
 |
| The bloody pole, most likely covered in human blood, that the woman used to protect herself |
The bite sank to the bone, and she had to put her hands in his mouth to pry him off.
When she retreated toward her bedroom, she tripped, and Dutch attacked again, biting her buttock, again penetrating to the bone, authorities said.
When she tried to pry his jaws off her, Dutch bit her finger so hard it caused a compound fracture and severed an artery.
Dutch kept slamming his body into her bedroom door after she made it inside the room, bit furniture, and later attacked the other dog yet again, according to the police.
The woman's medical bill is about $24,000, Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said.
"She is fortunate to have escaped that attack with her life," said Animal Services Supervisor Mike Duncan. "She loved the dog, but she is very concerned for anyone who is going to be around that dog from now on."
AKC CGC evaluator Sandie Wyman said, "I am the CGC evaluator that tested this sweet dog. He did pass with flying colors and even gave me a kiss afterwards. This means that he will receive a real title from AKC stating he can now visit elderly people at nursing homes."
Aguilar said he's dubious about some aspects of the woman's story, though he feels bad for her. He maintains his dog was provoked, and explained to the Daily Press steps he has taken to have the dog evaluated by professionals, none of whom view Dutch as vicious.
Dutch had a swollen snout and eye, Aguilar said. The pole the woman used "has blood caked all over it," he said. "All I know is I found a bloody pole in the yard."
Since the November incident, Aguilar has taken the dog to Oklahoma, where he resumed training him as a service dog. He has taken Dutch into public several times with no incidents.
"We're just trying to preserve his life and resume his training," Aguilar said.
Aguilar is due in Montrose Municipal Court on Feb. 14. He said animal control has recommended euthanization, and that he will appeal if that is ordered.
Duncan and Chinn said they could not comment on that detail because sentencing hasn't yet taken place.
(Montrose Press - Feb 8, 2013)
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