CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Thanks to help from the community, local officials were able to locate two dogs responsible for attacking a man and his small dog earlier this month.
Jim Young and his small Pomeranian, Brandy, were attacked early on March 12 as they walked on Island Drive in Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.
Young was bitten and knocked to the ground, his dog was mauled and left with serious injuries, and the dogs' owner reportedly gave a false name before leaving the scene in a Mitsubishi Montero with the California license plate 5BGV640.
Lake County Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson told Lake County News on Monday that his agency received an anonymous call over the weekend giving the location of the vehicle and the two dogs alleged to have been involved in the March 12 attack.
An Animal Care and Control Officer went to Plaza Drive in Clearlake Oaks to investigate, confirmed that they were the same dogs and impounded them pursuant to a vicious animal investigation, Davidson said.
Davidson said the officer also had Young positively identify the dogs.
One of the dogs was a neutered male boxer mix, while the second was an unaltered female pit bull mix, Davidson said.
The quarantine is already over and both dogs appear healthy, so Davidson said there is no further need or concern regarding rabies.
He said the dogs' owner was very apologetic about his “lack of clarity” regarding what happened.
The man indicated to the Animal Care and Control officer that the female pit bull mix – which Davidson said was the more aggressive of the two – was a stray that adopted the man several months ago. The man identified the male boxer mix as his dog.
“We will be examining the matter further to ensure a vicious abatement order is warranted and may even pursue other legal action regarding his lack of compliance with quarantine,” Davidson said in an email.
Leah Young, Jim Young's granddaughter, said he's doing well.
She said he's taking care of Brandy, who recently came home from Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic in Lakeport.
Brandy suffered a broken leg, broken law, punctured lung and multiple bite wounds all over her body in the attack. Young said Brandy came home with casts on her leg and jaw.
“She's gonna pull through,” she said. “We didn't expect it.”
To help the family with the veterinarian bill, contact Jim Young at 707-350-4867 or Leah Young at 707-245-3049.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .