Hollister – Two Hollister dogs are behind bars again.
Hollister – Two Hollister dogs are behind bars again.
Local resident Rose Navarrete said the dogs have been terrorizing residents and pets near Bridgevale Road, and she’s worried they will be put back on the streets.
“Those dogs should be put down,” Navarette said. “They’re cat killers.”
Hollister Animal Control Director Julie Carreiro said she’s investigating the dogs – boxers named Scooby and Honey – and may try to convince the San Benito County Superior Court to classify them as “potentially dangerous.” The dogs will be held until she concludes her investigation in a few days, Carreiro said.
Carreiro tried to get the dogs classified as “potentially dangerous” in August 2006, when she connected the dogs to seven incidents dating back to June 2004. In one incident, the dogs allegedly forced several girls to climb to the top of a car to avoid being bitten. In the most recent incident, Carreiro reported, two Chihuahuas were allegedly attacked and one was killed. According to court documents, Judge Harry Tobias rejected Carreiro’s claim because there was not enough evidence connecting the dogs to many of the incidents in question.
Richard Mar, who owns the dogs, doesn’t deny they killed a cat last week. However, he said he’s already paid for the owner’s veterinary bills and is arranging to buy her a new cat. Carreiro and his neighbors are overreacting, Mar said.
“My dogs wouldn’t hurt any people,” he said. “But when a dog sees a cat, it does the natural thing.”
Mar said constant complaints from neighbors have led to several “dog on the loose” citations from animal control in the past.
“But when I did something wrong, I paid the ticket,” Mar said.
Navarette said she herself was almost attacked by the dogs on April 26. They charged at her as she was tending her flowers, but then veered off to attack a neighbor’s cat, she said. The cat was taken to a local veterinary hospital where it died.
“He didn’t have a chance,” Navarette said.
Navarette added that if the dogs are released again, she’s worried about the safety of her 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.
“They could have been out there with me,” she said.
Carreiro said it’s not unusual for her to declare a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous, but this is the first time she’s had a case dismissed. If a dog is found to be dangerous, the judge decides the consequences, Carreiro said. Those consequences could include forcing the owner to provide better security, to neuter or spay the dog or, in the most extreme cases, to put the dog to sleep.
In most of those cases, Carreiro said the incident could have been prevented if the owner did a better job of keeping the animal secure.
“It’s usually common sense stuff,” she said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
