Homeless man’s dog euthanized after fatal attack on his pet in Citrus Heights – Citrus Heights Sentinel

By Sara Beth Williams–
The dog of a homeless man who attacked and killed a pet owner’s dog in Citrus Heights on June 13 was subsequently surrendered by his owner and placed at an animal shelter in Auburn.

Debra Miller, director of Citrus Heights Police Services, confirmed to The Sentinel last week that the aggressive dog’s owner dropped the animal off in a parking lot on Lichen Drive near Antelope Road after the attack. The dog was then turned over to Placer County Animal Services, which works with Citrus Heights Police, she said.

Investigations to determine if an animal is “vicious” can take up to 90 days and include hearings, the imposition of certain conditions on the animal and appeals of decisions, Miller said. In this case, the investigation was closed by Citrus Heights police because the owner voluntarily surrendered the dog, and the dog was released into Placer County custody for evaluation.

“Given the unfortunate circumstances, everything is going very well,” Miller said, adding that she was pleased with how quickly animal welfare responded with the initial investigation.

The owner of her dog, who was killed in the attack, told the Sentinel in an interview that she has had difficulty eating and sleeping since the incident.

“When I go to sleep, I wake up with nightmares,” she said.

Last week, animal welfare informed her of the status of the investigation into the aggressive dog, she said, and the officer she spoke to “assured her that the dog will be euthanized.”

Katie Ingram, director of Placer County Animal Services, confirmed to The Sentinel on July 1 that the dog had been euthanized and said each animal is assessed individually.

“We look at public safety, we look at the incident that occurred, the severity of the injury,” Ingram said, adding that the attack was “very serious.”

Reports that the attacker had also attacked another pet owner’s dog several weeks before the fatal incident raised questions about whether animal welfare agencies should have intervened earlier.

Miller said on June 25 that she was not immediately aware of the specific situation surrounding a previous attack by the same aggressive dog and declined to comment on the alleged earlier incident.