GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A dog that roamed loose in a Kent County neighborhood and killed a neighbor’s dog has been euthanized, according to the sheriff’s department.
Lexi, a pitbull mix that attacked a shih tzu named Georgi, was voluntarily surrendered by its owner Thursday morning, 24 days after the fatal mauling.
“After some serious prayer and supplication, I was directed to ‘do the right thing’ for all parties involved,” said Lexi’s owner, Aric Coleman, in a text exchange with Target 8. “I remain remorseful for how my negligence as an owner lead to sorrow and fear.”
Coleman previously told Target 8 that Lexi had never shown aggression before and the family had become “a little too comfortable” with allowing Lexi to be outside with no supervision and nothing to contain her in the yard.
“It’s a bad habit we have to break,” Coleman said in an interview a week ago. “Like I told you, we’ve been here ten years, and it’s something we’ve done over a considerable period of time with no problem.
Coleman said his teenage twins were home alone when the fatal attack happened and again when Lexi was spotted loose in the neighborhood days later.
Neighbors on Robinhood Drive Southeast where the attack occurred contacted Target 8 after Kent County failed to immediately seize Lexi when the attack happened on May 6.
“It went too slow,” a neighbor named Mary told Target 8 Friday. “Even a couple weeks was too slow. (Georgi’s owner) deserved … quicker action.”
Neighbors said they were stunned when Kent County Animal Control issued Coleman a $100 ticket for violating the animal ordinance but did not impound Lexi.
The county issued a second ticket days later when a neighbor snapped a picture of Lexi loose in the neighborhood again.
“I feel so relieved,” said neighbor Kim upon learning Lexi had been euthanized. “I mean, it was like a warzone over here for a while, just waiting for the enemy to attack.”
The mauling happened when Lexi wandered 70 or so yards from her home on the East Beltline to a backyard neighbor’s garage on Robinhood Drive, which parallels the Beltline off Fulton Street. That’s where the pitbull mix attacked and killed Georgi.
The shih tzu’s owner, who witnessed the attack, has been too traumatized to speak publicly. But neighbors questioned why they had to live in fear of another attack.
“It’s stalking the other dogs,” said Mary. “So, it’s not going to stop.”
Kent County Animal Control sent Target 8 a statement explaining its process:
“Animal Control typically cannot seize a dog because dogs are considered property in Kent County, which requires a court order to remove,” wrote the sheriff’s department in an email to Target 8. “However, the dog could be immediately removed if the dog cannot be contained, the owners cannot properly contain the dog or the owner cannot be located.”
Animal Control explained that if a dog attacks and kills another dog, officers investigate the incident and transfer the case to the prosecutor’s office, which then determines if there’s enough evidence to seek court-ordered euthanization.
Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker told Target 8 that Lexi met the criteria for a court order but her owner decided to voluntarily surrender her instead of fighting it in court.
Coleman told Target 8 he plans to offer to buy Georgi’s owner a new dog.
While neighbors are relieved that Coleman relented, they want to ensure that animal control has the authority to impound dogs immediately.
State Senator Sean McCann has introduced dangerous dog legislation that may allow for that in cases like Lexi’s.
“Unfortunately, stories like these are far too common,” wrote McCann in an email to Target 8. “I believe my legislation could have addressed this situation if it were currently law. My hope is that my bills would give animal control and law enforcement the necessary tools to act in these circumstances to protect our communities, families, and other domestic animals.”
McCann said he introduced Senate Bills 683 and 684 to prevent tragedies like the fatal mauling of a Grandville native who was attacked and killed by dogs in Lapeer County in 2014, or the Kalamazoo letter carrier who was “violently mauled multiple times on her route.”
The bills are currently before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture.