Dog Faces Euthanasia After Attacking Woman

A rottweiler that had attacked a child this summer bit a woman on the leg on Tuesday.

After the second attack, the female rottweiler, named Josy, was deemed a threat by Spokane County Animal Control and will be euthanized.

The dog apparently escaped from a fenced yard at 303 S. McDonald Road late Tuesday afternoon, then bit the woman, who was just outside the yard, and chased her down the street, according to Nancy Hill, the director of Spokane County Animal Control.

An animal control officer arrived shortly after the 5 p.m. incident and found the dog had returned to the yard.

The dog is one of two rottweilers deputies and animal control officers chased through the ShopKo parking lot after a child waqs attacked in July.

The dogs were deemed potentially dangerous, which meant that if they ever attacked again, the owner would be required to keep the dog locked up and buy liability insurance. Rather than do this, the owner opted to have the dog euthanized, officials said.

The owner, Kevin Kirkwood, 41, was charged with allowing the dog to run loose as well as allowing the dog to threaten a person.

Kirkwood was also charged with running an illegal private kennel after an animal control officer found two rottweilers, nine male chihuahuas, 10 female chihuahuas and one husky at the house on McDonald. Owners are allowed only four dogs unless they have a special permit.

The fines totaled $342.

There was no sign of animal neglect involved, Hill said.

Kirkwood released Josy to animal control for a quarantine period. The dog will be watched for any signs of rabies. Then, it will be euthanized.

Hill said it wasn’t all that unusual to have the same dog act out more than once.

“A lot of dogs go to the dangerous status because they re-offend,” Hill said.