A BROWN AND WHITE PIT BULL WEARING A BLACK AND WHITE SPIKED COLLAR ATTACKED AND KILLED A 10-YEAR-OLD TERRIER AT GRANADA PARK ON FRIDAY, MARCH 16
Sat - Mar 24, 2012 - On Friday, March 16, Plajeres Zamora had just bought a bicycle for her 8-year-old niece who was visiting her for spring break. The two decided to ride to nearby Granada Park and let Zamora's little dog, CHICITO, come along with them.
There was another boy playing in the park, also, when
2 PIT BULLS showed up. They first approached her neice and she immediately came closer to Zamora. Then the boy and one of the dogs left the park, and the other PIT BULL came over to the playground equipment where Zamora and her niece were sitting. Their little dog Chicito came out from under the slide and....
********** THE PIT BULL ATTACKED !!!!!!! **********
It picked up the little terrier in the air by his stomach, then slammed him to the ground many times.
Two City workers were pulling up in a truck and saw what was going on and ran toward them holding shovels. The Pit Bull let go of the little dog. It was already dead !!! The Pit Bull acted like it was going to walk away, but then turned and came back toward Zamora and her niece. They began climbing higher on the equipment to get to safety.
Zamora said a Police Officer showed up and took a report, but no one from Animal Control showed up or followed up with her. She was told that the only animal control officer, Frank Marquez, was busy with other duties Friday and was never called by the dispatcher.
HOWEVER, A NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT SAID SHE'S BEEN CALLING ANIMAL CONTROL ABOUT TWO PIT BULLS RUNNING LOOSE IN THE AREA FOR MONTHS !!!
"I CALLED THEM THURSDAY BEFORE IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY WERE CHASING MY CATS," SHE SAID.
So Zamora went to City Hall on Tuesday, March 20, to talk with City Clerk Pat Salome. He said that the:
*****PRIMARY PURPOSE OF HAVING ANIMAL CONTROL IS TO WORK ON SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, WHEN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF RESIDENTS MAY BE IN JEOPARDY. SALOME ALSO SAID THAT ANIMAL SHELTER DIRECTOR, ALFREDO JOJOLA, HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA AND SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE DOGS, AND DID TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE AREA THIS WEEK.
"THIS IS SOMETHING WE TAKE SERIOUSLY, AND SOMETHING THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF. THEE'S A DOG OUT THERE THAT IS OBVIOUSLY AGGRESSIVE THAT WE NEED TO DO OUR BEST TO FIND. WE WANT TO GET THE RIGHT ANIMAL," SALOME SAID. "THE IDEA IS TO DO THE RIGHT THING, GET THE RIGHT ONE."
On Friday, March 23, at about 11 am, Jojola, accompanied by two Socorro Police Officers, went to the spring Street home of Leroy Saavedra, the owner of a Pit Bull Jojola believes to have been involved in the attack.. SAAVEDRA was cited, but the dog was not impounded because it was penned up, Jojola said.
SAAVEDRA is due to appear in court on March 27
Even if he's got the right dog, the only thing he can charge the owner with, per the existing city ordinanace, is letting it run loose, Jojola. The ordinance gives animal control officers the responsibility of destroying any dog they find in the act of pursuing or wounding livestock or wounding and killing poultry or attacking humans.
"WE DIDN'T CATCH THIS DOG IN THE ACT."
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