EL CAJONEL CAJON — Are policy changes coming to the San Diego Humane Society in how it handles people whose dogs have been declared “dangerous”?
El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells hopes so.
Wells said a government relations spokesperson from the Humane Society told him on Thursday that the nonprofit that handles the city’s animal services is doing a deeper dive into the events of Sept. 27, when a neighbor’s unleashed pit bull attacked a woman walking her dog in Wells’ Granite Hills neighborhood.
Wells and his next-door neighbor, Rick Chiles, came to the aid of a senior-age woman whose arm was badly injured in the attack that occurred when she was out walking her smaller dog on a leash.
The pit bull was quarantined for 10 days and then went back to his home on Granite Hills Drive, where the owners on Oct. 6 were served with a “Dangerous Dog” declaration by the Humane Society.
As part of the declaration, the owner of the dog must keep “BEWARE OF DOG” signs in several spots along her fence and the dog must be confined in a substantially fenced and gated enclosure. The dog will need to be on leash and muzzled whenever it is out in public. It must be neutered and wear a “dangerous dog” tag with a valid dog license at all times. The owner of the dog also must take out $100,000 in liability insurance.
If the owner doesn’t comply with these restrictions, the Humane Society can issue a misdemeanor citation or impound or euthanize the dog. Any damages caused by the animal would need to be determined in a civil lawsuit.
But Humane Society Chief of Humane Law Enforcement Bill Ganley said the group still abides by what is written in the El Cajon Municipal Code and overarching San Diego County codes.
Ganley said representatives of the group went out to the pit bull owner’s home to check that protocols were being met. He said Humane Society officers also visited neighbors’ homes on either side of the dangerous dog’s home. Nobody was home, but the officers left their information behind, including how to get into touch with the Humane Society if they see something amiss.
Wells’ wife, Bettie Wells, said one of the houses next to the pit bull’s home is for sale and Chiles said the home on the other side is about to go on the market.
Bill Wells said his call from the official said that the Humane Society was “looking at the severity of the bite and the history of the dog and the behavioral makeup of the dog.”
He said he was encouraged by the phone call but at the same time remains concerned about the effect the event has had on his wife, Bettie. She is in a heightened state of worry about the safety of the neighborhood, especially for children. The area is a hub of activity with people walking their dogs and high school sports teams running laps, he said.
Wells said they won’t allow their grandchildren or their own dogs to play on the lawn in front of their home.
“She’s literally afraid somebody’s going to get killed,” Wells said. “She’s frustrated about the disregard the Humane Society has for people’s lives.”
Ganley said that like any organization, the Humane Society “constantly evaluates how we do things, how to improve.”
He said officers that went to the pit bull’s home were confident that the owners were following all of the required rules.
“In this case, the owner of this animal intends to comply with all the stipulations,” Ganley said. “There’s nothing that says to us they won’t be in compliance.”
Ganley said he had not had any with the woman whose arm was chewed up since this earlier this month, but that humane officers had been in touch with the victim.
“These bites and attacks are traumatic for everyone involved,” Ganley said. “The woman did nothing wrong. We don’t want to further traumatize her.”
He said the group’s investigation is over “for all intents and purposes,” and that Thursday’s visit to the pit bull’s home was the first time officers had been there in two weeks. He said they will continue to visit the home regularly and “make sure the conditions are continually being met, to ensure everyone understands we’re serious about monitoring this situation.”
Ganley said that he advises people to always be aware of their surroundings and to keep their dogs restrained and on-leash in public.
“If everybody complied, there would be far less situations like this,” Ganley said.
