Six-year-old witnesses her puppy killed by pit bull
By Kim QuinteroEUGENE, Ore. - A little girl witnessed a pit bull attack that killed her puppy in the backyard of her North Eugene home on Thursday. "She was the first puppy my daughter's ever had. She got her on Christmas morning. She was sweet. I guarantee you she had no idea what was coming," said Trisha Miller, mother of 6-year-old Alexis. Miller recalls the night 1-year-old Gabby the golden retriever was killed. Sadness overwhelms her for what her daughter witnessed, but in the same breath- a sigh of relief. "My daughter would have thought she could have helped and she would have been killed. I know that whole heartedly and that's the only positive thing I can find out of this," said Miller. Animal control officers eventually captured the dog near the Lillian Street home, and gave the pit bull's owner the option to keep his dog, but police advised him to have it euthanized. "What I can't believe is that it's up to him, that it's not a mandatory euthanizing," said Miller. "You know? After a dog kills another dog?" But under Eugene's city code, the owner could have chosen to take the dog back. The only way the city can order a vicious dog euthanized, is if a judge classifies the animal a high level of danger, and only if that animal attacks again during that classification period. But if a dog attack happens in Lane County's jurisdiction, code allows a judge to order a dangerous dog euthanized as he or she sees necessary. This pit bull's owner, who wasn't home for comment, opted to have his dog put down- but would all owners act responsibly if in the same situation? "That would be too hard to say because they're kind of like family to you, so that would be too hard to say," said Robert Clarke, pit bull owner. To be clear, it's not up to Lane County Animal Shelter to determine if a dog is euthanized. |
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