San Francisco and Pit Bull Policies

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Recent attacks by pit bulls in the city demonstrate how difficult the problem of dangerous dogs can be, and how, even when city officials go the extra mile, there is nothing that can be done for them.

Sophie is doing better since her attack, but still fears large dogs. And no wonder.

C.W. Nevius: SF Chronicle

Sophie is doing better since her attack, but still fears large dogs. And no wonder.

You may remember the case of Sophie, a fluffy, four-and-a-half pound Maltese who suffered an unprovoked attack by Coco, a large pit bull on Fulton Street. Sophie probably wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for the quick action of neighbors and medical personnel from a nearby pet hospital. After some negotiation, Coco's owner, T-sha Sullivan, agreed to bring her in for a hearing.

And then there was Kiki, the aggressive pit bull that attacked more than one dog in Washington Square. Part of a group that made neighbors feel unsafe, Kiki was deemed a vicious and dangerous dog at the regular San Francisco Police animal hearings and the owner, Michael Lee, was ordered not to "own, control, or possess'' a dog for three years.

Now, here are the updates:

First, Sophie's owner, Nicole Bromma, who was walking her when she was attacked, wrote to say that "Sophie is in good spirits, she is healing well and her fuzz is growing back. Although she still has some scabs and her scars are thick, she is still a love.'' Before she was attacked, Sophie worked as a therapy dog, visiting hospitals and centers for patients, and Bromma says she is back at "work,'' although she is still very fearful of large dogs.

Coco's owner, Sullivan, was also banned from "owning, possessing, or controlling'' a dog for three years.

As for Kiki and Coco, the news is not as good, although you have to give everyone credit for going the extra mile. After the column appeared I got some e-mails from people and groups decrying the idea of blaming the pit bull breed for problems and stressing that the dogs had horrible situations with their owners.

To which I replied, I didn't say a thing about pit bulls but clearly Kiki and Coco attacking other dogs is dangerous and something needs to be done to keep them from hurting anyone or any other dog.

And that's what happened. First there were several attempts made to find an adoptive family for each dog. Rocket Dog Rescue, a group that works to save dogs, made efforts to help with an adoption. In the case of Coco, however, Officer John Denny of the police department's dangerous and vicious animals division says Coco reacted so poorly to being in confinement that evaluators could not even get into the cage to interact with her.

As for Kiki, a family was found, but Denny says the adopter asked if they could guarantee that the dog would not hurt their cat. Frankly, they said, they could not do that.

So, with no owner available, and each classified as vicious and dangerous, the two dogs were put down.

"You know," Denny said, "people think putting them down doesn't bother us, but it does. That's why I don't even go down and look at them in their cages. I feel sorry for them.''

And finally, just to end on a happier note, Bromma said that after the story about the attack ran, two anonymous donors stepped up to offer to pay Sophie's medical bills. Bromma says they declined, but they appreciated the thought.

Posted By: C.W. Nevius (Email) | June 29 2010 at 01:10 PM

Listed Under: City life