'Vicious' dog set for euthanasia as owner fights Santaquin city ordinance


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SANTAQUIN —A family dog's life is up for debate in Santaquin. It's a tough situation for both the city and the family, and it may come down to how the city defines a "vicious" dog.

Dexter is a 5-year-old Australian Shepherd who recently had a run-in with police.

"The police report says they were called to the house because of a vicious dog," said the dog's owner, Lindsy Bray.

While the family was gone, Dexter had escaped from their fenced backyard and, according to that police report, bit a teenage girl.

"I think he saw a girl and was like, 'Hey let's play,' and maybe jumped at the back of the leg and scratched her," Bray said.

The report said "the bite did not break any skin."

"I was like, 'My dog doesn't bite people,'" Bray said.

However, the dog doesn't have to bite to be considered vicious, according to the current Santaquin City law. It defines a"vicious" dog as one that has "bitten, clawed, attacked, chased, harassed, pursued, or worried a person without provocation."

"There isn't much gray area to it," said Santaquin City Mayor Kirk Hunsaker. He said the law is meant to protect residents.

"I couldn't face victim number two or number three and let them know we had a chance to stop a vicious dog from doing it again," Hunsaker said. "As it is right now, the dog must be put down."

Bray said she asked the judge presiding over the case if the family could find a new home for Dexter out of the city.

"She said, 'No, I want proof from the vet within five days or you will go to jail for six months and we will still put down the dog,''' Bray explained.

Now, Dexter's fate is in the hands of the city council, which could decide to possibly amend the city ordinance to allow the dog to be moved out of the city.

"Santaquin City has had a dog ordinance since the 1800s and it's been an issue ever since," Hunsaker said. "It's still an issue today and we're trying to do our best. As owners, we need to be more responsible."

Bray is hoping for some middle ground and a second chance for Dexter.

"I want to save my dog, but not only mine," Bray said. "I feel for all the other families that are having to kill their family pet."

The city council meets next on June 7.

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Ashley Kewish

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast