Police are urging pit bull owners to fatally attack a mini poodle on Friday evening in Santa Monica near Main and Strand Streets.
Santa Monica police say the owner of an unidentified leashed poodle was seen talking to a parked car driver when the pitbull bites the leashed poodle.
Alyssa Kluge and Christoper Dietrick take photos with a mini-poodle from Dublin.
(From Alyssa Kluge)
Soon the man left the scene and headed in an unknown direction, police said.
Police said Christopher Deetrick, the owner of the minipoodle, tried to intervene and was bitten by a pit bull.
“Generally speaking, potential violations in these types of cases are most likely to fall into misdemeanor-level crime,” Santa Monica Police Lt. Colonel Lewis Gilmore said in an email to the LA Times. “These include violations of local government codes related to the leash law, failure to control a dangerous dog, or failure to provide identification information after a dog bite.”
The Santa Monica Animal Control Unit is currently investigating the incident. The officer is approaching the address on the file for the pit bull but has not been in touch with the owner. It is unclear whether the address is the owner’s permanent residence or how the police identified it.
Once the person responsible is identified and the case is completed, the animal control unit will determine which citation is appropriate.
Police say after the investigation is completed, animal control units will quarantine the dog for 10 days.
Authorities have released video footage of the owner walking the pit bull. Anyone with information about the case will be asked to contact the Animal Control Unit at (310) 458-8595.
