The dog that bit a 10-year-old boy in Columbus less than two weeks ago might see his last day soon.
The previous owners signed rights to the dog over to the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society on Wednesday, and Humane Society officials said the animal may be put to sleep because it is too dangerous to adopt.
The dog was released to the Humane Society after it attacked a child on Aug. 19 at the intersection of 13th Avenue and Fourth Street South in Columbus, according to police. The dog knocked the boy off his bike, and police cited then-owner LaTracy Williams, of 1224 Fourth St. S., for having a nuisance dog, allowing the dog to run free and having no vaccination tag or identification for the animal. The dog was taken to the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society for a 10-day observation hold.
According to Jason Nickles, manager of the local Humane Society, the owner does not want the dog back, and the Humane Society can either adopt the dog out or put it to sleep.
“He”s too dangerous to adopt out,” Nickles said.
Officials first reported the dog was a pit-bull mix, but Karen Johnwick, the Humane Society”s director, believes the dog is a Catahoula mix, which is a herding dog.
“It”s kind of a cattle-dog mix,” she said.
Catahoula mixes are not aggressive by nature, Johnwick said.
“If this dog was left on a chain or something, then that will make a dog aggressive. I don”t know how the dog was confined or anything, but the dog is very aggressive,” she said. “This is the first one I”ve ever seen like this.”
The plan is to euthanize the dog, Johnwick said, but she does not know when. The dog was not put to sleep as of Thursday afternoon, and the Humane Society offices opened after print deadline for today”s edition of The Dispatch.
All dogs within the Columbus city limits must be confined to a house or pen and adhere to local leash laws. In addition, owners of all pit bull and Rottweiler breeds, whether kept inside or outside, must register their dog with the Animal Control Office at the Columbus Police Department. By state law, all dogs must also have a rabies vaccination and tag.
Attempts to get in touch with the dog”s previous owners were unsuccessful.
Oktibbeha County is looking into creating a vicious-dog ordinance, following the Aug. 13 attack of two children by five pit bulls and last summer”s mauling of five cows.
Citizens are expected to attend a Sept. 5 meeting by the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors to request action.
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