TALENT, Ore.– Two German shepherds were taken into custody last week after they had broken loose and mauled a Talent woman’s dog to death.
The incident happened on Sunday, Oct. 27 while the woman was out for a walk with her dog, a Maltese.
On Wednesday, NBC5 News received word that the two dogs were euthanized after their owner decided to surrender them. As part of the county’s protocol, this was one of two options the owner could have taken.
According to Jackson County Animal Control, when somebody’s dog attacks other dogs or even people, the suspected animal is rounded up and held by the county. From there the owner can challenge the charge in court where evidence in the investigation will be presented in a hearing.
“We consider factors like whether the animals had a previous history or an enforcement history,” said Kim Casey, an officer with Jackson County Animal Control. “What the level of aggression was in this situation, how many animals were involved.”
The dogs will either be released based on the evidence or may be euthanized if the dogs are considered to pose a threat to the community.
The other option is the owner can surrender the animal and let the county decide what to do with it. From that point, animal control makes a recommendation to the animal shelter who then decides if the dog goes up for adoption or needs to be euthanized.
In this case, based on the investigation, animal control made a recommendation to put down the dogs.
“Because of the level of aggression and the potential danger it poses to the public then obviously our recommendation is going to be a consideration for the safety of the public,” said Casey.
Talent police say because the dogs were running loose, the owner violated Talent City Ordinance 8.10.020. The owner will be fined $250 dollars for each dog.
As for the owner of the dog that was killed, she says she’s facing a medical bill of nearly $8,000. While her homeowner’s insurance won’t cover the bill, she met with the other owner who agreed to help pay the expense.
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