Dogs Seized After Injurious Attack on Calpine Woman

CALPINE — On July 19, two dogs attacked a woman without provocation as she was walking along Coates Avenue in Calpine, according to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. The woman received a bite to her arm and further facial injury from a fall, for which she was transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment, says Sheriff Mike Fisher. The dogs were seized under Sierra County Code provisions for vicious animals and remain in quarantine at the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. The owner of the dogs was not in town when law enforcement arrived.

The dogs and owner were already known to the Sheriff’s Office, which had responded to several incidents involving the animals. Most incidents were minor, with no charges pressed by reporting parties. However, in one instance, the dogs attacked another dog, requiring it to receive veterinary care. The owner of the attacked dog was willing to press criminal charges via a citizen’s arrest for allowing a dog to be at large and attack another animal. While a court date was set on Tuesday, July 22, the owner did not appear, and a bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Sheriff Fisher noted that the dogs were not required to be secured before the owner’s prior case is resolved because California law lacks “teeth” when it comes to dog-on-dog incidents. He stressed the importance of due process, adding that responding with seizures to every dog-fighting incident would make his office “public enemy number one,” given the prevalence of such incidents in the county. Fisher views the recent attack as a serious escalation and danger to public safety, necessitating the seizure.

When it comes to dog-on-human attacks, the law has plenty of teeth. The fate of the dogs will be determined by a vicious animal hearing, to be conducted by the Sierra County Board of Supervisors or a board-appointed hearing officer. Should the hearing determine that the dogs are vicious, the Sheriff, who is also the county’s Chief of Animal Control, will decide on their ultimate outcomes. The owner also has the option of surrendering the dogs to the county, which would allow the hearing to be skipped in exchange for transferring complete control of the dogs to the Sheriff.

The Sheriff’s Office is now investigating the July 19 attack, and a report will be filed with the District Attorney. Among the likely charges is allowing a dog to bite a person under California Penal Code Section 399(b), which can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony based on the severity of the injuries, with the potential to lead to jail time. The Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone with additional information related to the incident to contact the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 289-3700.