Agency seeks pit bull's euthanization after 2nd attack

Salt Lake County Animal Services wants to euthanize an aggressive pit bull that has killed two dogs in the past year — the most recent death occurring Wednesday in Salt Lake City, according to officials.

Now, the agency is holding the almost 2-year-old dog, named Nasio, and will ask the owner to officially hand over custody of the animal.

The latest incident happened about 12:30 p.m., near 355 North and 1800 West, when a Maltese ran out of its owner's house and was attacked by the unrestrained pit bull in a neighbor's yard.

"It grabbed the Maltese in its mouth and ran off," said Animal Services spokeswoman Temma Martin.

An 18-year-old boy watching the pit bull "didn't try to do anything" to help, she said.

The pit bull, a 40-pound, unneutered male, eventually came back and dropped the small Maltese out of its mouth to the ground.

The same dog killed a 6-week-old Rottweiler puppy and bit the owner in November last year, Martin said.

If the owners will not turn over custody of the dog to Salt Lake County Animal Services, Martin said they will go to court to try to force custody. A citation containing one count of a dog running at large and one count of a dog attack was issued Wednesday against the owner.

"It has a history of being aggressive. Because of that we'll fight to have the dog euthanized," she said.

It has also been said that the dog killed a cat in the past year, but the incident was never reported to authorities and Martin said her office had no record of it.

The pit bull is licensed to a person who no longer lives at the house where the dog lives, Martin said. That person moved away and left the dog with the family currently residing at the house. The new owner has faced legal action on the dog before, pleading guilty for the attack on the Rottweiler, Martin said.

Wednesday's incident, Martin said, is a reminder of why dogs cannot run loose, especially if a person owns a powerful animal like a pit bull.

"Pit bulls are not, as a whole, a bad breed," Martin said. "However, because of their dog-aggressive tendencies and what they are bred for, it is a bigger responsibility to own one."

She said pit bulls are increasing in popularity in the Salt Lake Valley, coming close to Labradors, the No. 1 owned breed.

Despite losing the their pet, the owner of the Maltese was also given a "notice of violation" along with the pit bull owner because the Maltese their dog was running loose.

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Contributing: Wendy Leonard

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com