The owner of two dogs that attacked and killed a neighbor’s
house cat euthanized his pets and agreed to pay the victim’s
veterinarian bills, police said.
The owner of two dogs that attacked and killed a neighbor’s house cat euthanized his pets and agreed to pay the victim’s veterinarian bills, police said.
The dogs, one described as a chow and one as a terrier breed, entered the back yard of a home off San Benito Drive about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday. They jumped the cat, whose owner transported the pet to Animal Care Center in Morgan Hill.
Dr. John Quick, who treated the cat, said the animal was alive when it arrived at his office, but it died during treatment.
“They really tore up the cat,” Quick said.
According to police reports, the two dogs were able to get into their neighbor’s yard through a hole in the fence separating them. When animal control officer Daniel Pina arrived, the dogs were still walking back and forth between the two yards. He was unable to restrain the dogs because they were still acting aggressively, and he had to call for assistance.
The owner of the dogs, Edwin Pina, 45, was not home at the time of the incident. He was later charged with four misdemeanors and four city code infractions. The charges are related to allowing the dogs to be unrestrained, letting the dogs bite another animal, and not having licenses for the dogs, said officer Pina, who is not related to the suspect.
The dog owner also agreed to have the dogs euthanized, which was carried out Wednesday, and he will pay bills for the vet’s attempts to save the neighbor’s cat.
If found guilty, Pina could face thousands of dollars in fines, according to Quick, who helped the city draft its animal control ordinance.
“Hopefully this will send a message to other dog owners,” Quick said.
