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The owner of a pit bull is fighting to get his dog back after a judge ordered it be euthanized.
Animal control officers say they recommended the dog be put down after it showed aggressive behavior, but its owner says the dog is being treated unfairly because of its breed.
Four-year-old Bentley has been at the Sandy City Animal Shelter for a month. His owner just wants him back, but a judge's order could mean he'll never see his dog again.
"If he was a poodle and got out, I wouldn't be here right now," Cameron Hemphill said.
Hemphill says Bentley is more than a pet; he's part of the family. "He's a great dog. He's a loving dog. He's never hurt anybody," he said.
But animal control officers say the risk is there. That's why Bentley is in the shelter awaiting his fate.
In August, animal control officers cited the dog's owner for an animal attack and letting the dog run loose.
Rich Bergan, an animal control officer, says, "It chased several people aggressively. Chased one fellow into his house. Couple of kids had to flee from the dog and jump into a passing vehicle."
Bergan says officers had to use a Taser on the dog when it got aggressive with them.
Then last month, a neighbor reported the dog loose in the area again. When animal control officers showed up, the dog was in the owner's house. But because of the previous incident, Hemphill surrendered it.
Bergan recommended to the city prosecutor that the dog be euthanized. A judge agreed.
"Because of its characteristic and demeanor when it was loose, I'm afraid that if it were in that community again or any community, it would pose a threat to anybody if it got loose again," Bergan said.
But Hemphill says the dog never got out the second time and provided witness statements that support it. He says his dog only got out of his house the first time because someone left the door open.
In court yesterday, Hemphill lost his temper and was found in contempt. He spent one night in jail.
"I got held in contempt because I was upset. I found out my dog was going to get put to sleep, and I told people how I felt," he said.
Hemphill says his dog is being treated unfairly because of his breed. "Never had a problem. He's never bit anybody, never hurt anybody, and I'm a responsible owner," he said.
The dog's family has hired an attorney. They are fighting the judge's order to euthanize Bentley.
Meanwhile, Sandy City has a new ordinance that goes into effect tomorrow. It does not ban a specific breed of dog, but if a court finds a dog to be dangerous, there will be restrictions on the dog, including confinement and keeping it in an enclosure or muzzled.
To read Sandy's "Dangerous and Prohibited Dogs" ordinance, click the related link to the right of the story.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
