German shepherd terrorizes family

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

SAN RAFAEL — What appeared to be a stray dog attacked and killed a family’s cat at an Ice Caves Road home last week.

Lt. Harry Hall of the Cibola County Sheriff’s Department said Joanna Savaadra, of San Rafael, called the department to report that one of her cats had been killed by a loose German shepherd on March 22. Hall passed the report to the Grants Animal Shelter, who handles animal control calls for the county department. Animal control took a trap to the site, he added.

Savaadra said the dog recently “just showed up” and has frequently visited her yard since. A few days before the cat was killed Saturday, the shepherd beat up a neighbor’s pit bull.

Savaadra has three young children, ages 2, 3 and 6 years old, including a relative who often stays with her. She said she has shooed the dog away several times because of the kids and is keeping them out of the yard.

“I am kinda scared,” she said.

She said animal control dropped off a trap and told her to call them if she catches the dog.

Lt. Hall said the state has a dangerous dog statute, and this animal is considered dangerous by statute definition. The law says the dog should be safely restrained or confined.

The state statute says, among other things, that local counties must provide for the seizure and disposition of dogs running at large and not claimed by anyone, and that an owner of a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog that causes the death of a domestic animal without provocation is guilty of a fourth degree felony.

Hall indicated concern that the threat could be better addressed than just leaving trap at the scene.