Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Friday, June 22, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Dog attacks, kills infant
Viewing video requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player
KSNV coverage of fatal dog attack and interview with grief-stricken father, April 28, 2012.
Judge rules on euthanizing dog
Viewing video requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player
KSNV coverage of judge's decision about euthanizing Onion, the dog that mauled a 1-year-old child, May 13, 2012.
Sun archives
- State Supreme Court offers hope for Onion in whether it should be euthanized (5-29-2012)
- Rescue group pleads with judge to spare killer dog (5-25-2012)
- Rescue group pleads with judge to spare killer dog (5-25-2012)
- Judge to consider motions regarding dog that killed baby (5-21-2012)
- Judge says dog that killed 1-year-old boy can be euthanized (5-11-2012)
- First birthday ends in tragedy when family dog attacks and kills boy (4-28-2012)
The fate of Onion, the dog that killed a Henderson baby in April, is still unclear as lawyers for a group that wants to save it continue to try to get the Nevada Supreme Court to take up the matter.
Meanwhile, the 120-pound, 6-year-old Mastiff/Rhodesian ridgeback is healthy and is being cared for in two connecting cages at the Henderson Animal Control and Care Facility, according to a city police spokesman.
“We’re still waiting on a decision from the Nevada Supreme Court,” Keith Paul, public information officer for the Henderson Police Department, said Thursday.
Paul declined to comment on documents filed in the Supreme Court that show the court tried to get the case settled in a nonpublic mediation meeting last week, but that meeting was unsuccessful.
Onion was turned over to Henderson animal control officers by its owner, Elizabeth Keller, on April 27 after the dog attacked her grandson, Jeremiah Eskew-Skahan, who was at her home to celebrate his first birthday.
The boy reportedly crawled to the dog and pulled on Onion's fur to stand up, police said. The dog grabbed the boy by his face and began shaking him, police said. The boy died at University Medical Center.
After the tragedy, the city was expected to euthanize Onion, in accordance with its vicious dog ordinance. But a group called the Lexus Project intervened.
The Oceanside, N.Y., nonprofit organization has offered to provide funds to place and care for the dog in an animal sanctuary outside Denver. Lexus filed a motion for a temporary restraining order in Clark County District Court to stop the city from euthanizing the animal.
Judge Joanna Kishner, however, denied Lexus’ motion at a hearing in May. In her ruling, Kishner did not determine what action the city should take with the dog but said Lexus had no legal standing because the city now owns the dog.
The judge’s ruling eventually led Lexus to file a notice of appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court, along with two other motions to try to keep the city from euthanizing the dog. The city has filed counter motions.
Lexus has submitted documents to the court saying the grandmother didn't know what she was signing when she gave up ownership to the city. Lexus claims that the grandmother wants the animal to go to the Lexus Project, arguing that gives the organization legal standing to petition for the dog, known in court documents as "A Certain Dog Named Onion."
Meanwhile, the latest action in the case was a nonpublic mediation session set up by the Supreme Court that was held last Thursday in the Henderson City Attorney’s Office.
But court documents filed Monday by Ara H. Shirinian, the assigned settlement judge, showed that meeting was unproductive. The settlement judge signed a form and checked a box that said, "The parties were unable to agree to a settlement of this matter."
Paul declined to discuss what was discussed in last Thursday's mediation talks. Lawyers for Lexus could not be reached Thursday.
All the motions before the Supreme Court, meanwhile, are pending while the court decides whether to hear the case, Paul said.
Bill Gang, public information officer for the Supreme Court, said if the court decides to take up the matter, it would issue an order establishing a schedule for briefs to be filed with the court.
Gang said he didn’t know when that might happen.
This case sickens me. I feel such sympathy for the family, but at the same time I don't believe it is right for the City of Henderson to reject the offer by the Lexus Project, and the wishes of his 'previous' owner.
Onion was previously reported to be asleep when the baby grabbed on to his fur. It appears he acted instinctively.
It is also inappropriate to have the owner, the grandmother, sign over the dog when she is under duress, in shock and sorrow and in a chaotic event.
The animal shelter personnel should get a temporary hold, and wait until the owner is over their shock, so they can see if there are other options that would still protect the public from a "dangerous" animal.
The owner was helped through a bout of cancer by her dog companion. I understand that given time to think more clearly, she did what she wanted for the dog that helped her so much. She wants the Lexus Project to have Onion.
The City and the State should allow the Lexus Project to take the dog, and allow the grandmother to have the peace of mind that her helper dog is in a safe place.
Condemning the dog to death in light of the plan by the Lexus Project just adds more guilt and pain and is senseless.
Laws without wisdom are a tragedy and waste.
Compare the "crime" in the human world. It seems to me this wasn't premeditated, therefore, not a capital offense. At worst, it would be manslaughter, not carrying a death penalty.
Onion, with no priors, will be confined to a sanctuary, away from his mistress, for the rest of his life.
Why should Onion get a death sentence when a drunk driver, with priors, who kills someone(s) as a result of their continued negligence does not?
It will cost nothing to the City of Henderson taxpayers to release Onion to the Lexus Project. However, the City's continued efforts to fight this does cost the taxpayer.
As a resident, I protest this stupid fight by the City. This dog has an option. Recognize the grandmother's wishes and give Onion to the Lexus Project for placement in the sanctuary!
Why isn't this dog dead yet?? It has in essence become "saved".
It doesn't matter that the dog was sleeping and reacted instinctively. Onion cannot be trusted and it is disturbing to see the amount of people who care more about a dogs life than that of a human.
Drowning in debt, Henderson has the money to waste on spurious lawsuits intended to execute a dog? Onion belongs in the sanctuary. Stop the foolishness and send him there. And, for those of you who live in Henderson, vote the morons wasting your tax dollars out of office the first chance you get!
Heretic once again bends over backwards to display his neanderthal style ignorance on the issue(s). You sound like someone with absolutely zero knowledge on the subject...as in, if you ever had dogs and kids, you'd realize kids do mean things to dogs unintentionally, like pull their fur, poke their eyes, etc...and for the most part, dogs don't really like that. This is why you don't leave a toddler alone with a 120lb dog. Ever. You don't know what the kid is going to do, and you don't know how the dog is going to react. It's a mistake this family will live to regret the rest of their lives.
And please pray tell...how is Onion a danger to anyone where he would be going? You know, the place where the owner already agreed they would like to see him go? Stuck on stupid is no way to go through life son.
I truly hope that they stop wasting money and let the sanctuary take that poor dog.
As for Heretic, the answer to your question is yes I value the life of that dog 200% more than yours!
The grandmothers wishes should be respected and the dog should be released! Animal control thrives on killing animals and the whole system needs to be revamped.
My daughter had a Rhodesian/Dane mix that weighed 120 pounds at the time it attacked her face, narrowly missing her eye. She had it euthanized because her fear was that he would attack again. What if that dog escapes the sanctuary? I had to euthanize a bulldog because it attacked a child. People! A child or another human is more important than a dog. It broke my daughter's heart to put her dog down, but we had too many kids around at the time, and it broke our hearts to put the bulldog down for the same reason. However, I would never forgive myself for allowing a dog to live that would attack another child or anyone else. Have you ever had a dog attack you???? It's pretty scary.
Tired, based on your logic all killers should be put away, not for killing, but for misreading the actions of the victims. Nice.
Jahreb, I once had dogs with kids and the dog in question snapped at my child. The dog was gone within minutes.
Unlike the others I value all human life, even yours Tired.
Miss Salamone it is an inconsiderate and cowardly accusation to make. Animal Control thrives on killing animals? Really? How many years have you worked at a shelter or as an animal control officer? You've been a euthanasia technician for exactly how long? You personally know how many people in animal control? Give me a rough estimate of how many times you've cried this year because you're tasked with putting animals to sleep? Oh what's that? None? Oh right. Because I can guarantee you with every bone in my body that you have no idea how wrong your statement is.
You have no idea what it is like to work very hard day in and day out, on and off the clock to educate people to be responsible pet owners, to spay and neuter, to enforce the laws. Then before you have your morning coffee have to euthanize the same dogs we worked so hard to save the weeks before only to read comments like yours. You have no idea mam. None whatsoever. You have no place to make a baseless comment like that not having a clue about the hell we go through everyday having to euthanize animals because society can't be responsible for themselves.
Nobody, not a single person in any animal control agency or shelter enjoys having to do the dirty work for society. I wish I never had to euthanize another animal again, however society, backyard breeders, inconsiderate owners and irresponsible people will assure there's plenty to euthanize for all the shelters in this town.
Folks just remember your definition of "provoked" in the future when your poodle gets mauled at a dog park by another dog, or next time a pit bull (because the news never reports other breeds) is on the news for biting a kid who leaned over to pet it.
Because if a baby leaning on the dog to get up is considered "provoked" then you'll have no argument when a large dog tears your pomeranian into three pieces for barking or running towards him.
It's not about this dog, it's about the precedent it would set for future cases. If a dog that killed a kid gets off; then when a dog kills a dog, which by the way happens daily in this town, it certainly won't be declared vicious the owner would have case law and every right.
It goes both ways. Spare this dog and just prepare for the rest of the years worth of dogs that get declared for killing other animals and watch their owners win an appeal. Dog killed your cat? Oh it was provoked by the running, natural instint is prey drive.
Come on down to Lied Animal Shelter and see how many perfectly adoptable dogs who never killed a baby, dog or fly wont see tomorrow through no fault of their own.
Where's the appeal and lawsuit to save the dogs and cats that haven't killed a baby but are being euthanized at the shelters in town every day? Where's the uproar for them?
Heretic, you fist of all make the mistake of attributing conscious though and malice to the actions of a dog.
Second, I would ask, in the case where the dog snapped at your child, did the child hurt the dog first? If so, why was the CHILD not "gone within minutes"?
Third, can you say that in your child's lifetime you have never lost your temper and yelled at them (snapped at them)? If you have, why weren't YOU "gone within minutes"?
Sorry, but you seem to the the perfect example of why some people should not be allowed to have dogs (or children)
wendor, "attributing conscious though and malice to the actions of a dog." There is no mistake in thinking an animal can harbor malicious intent. If you don't think that then a dog mauling is heading your way.
I love my kids more than a dog. Bottom line.
btw, I used the wrong word, I should have said nipped since my actions have been over analyzed.
I will never own a dog again because of these feelings so all of you who value an animal more than a human can take substantive peace in that knowledge.
Pure waste of taxpayer money the dog should have been put down weeks ago.
Don't punish the dog if the parents/grandmother aren't being charged with something.
The incident was tragic, but that doesn't excuse basing decisions on emotion instead of reason.
It's a DOG!
It's a dead BABY!
Why is there a discussion? Animals don't have rights! They are animals. I don't want an animal abused, they should have PROTECTION. The child had rights. Had the right to be a child. A child this age has no knowlege of the proper way to interract with this type of animal. The two should not have been allowed to interract.
This said, a human child is gone from his family. The animal does not have a right to due process. The law says to put it down. This should have happened.
BTW..
Yes I own dogs. I do love them. I love humans more.
Many decades ago, after I bought a tiny toy poodle, I learned all I could about the breed. I learned about how small dogs, which think they are big, can end up dead by big dogs who are threatened by them, or perhaps think they are prey.
I had the dog out camping with me, off a leash. I let my guard down. A group built a little damn in a stream to create a swimming hole. My dog, being a water dog who had never gone swimming before, leaped into the water and panicked. He was struggling to keep his head above water. I was shocked, and in seconds an black Lab ran past me, jumped into the water and saved my poodle, guiding him to shore. I couldn't believe what I saw.
My sister had a toy Yorkie free in the front yard. He evidently threatened a passing Lab, also off leash, with his small dog bravado and it killed him.
Two instances of different dog behaviors, same breed, difference circumstances.
It cannot be reinforced enough to know your pet, and other pets, and not drop one's vigilance with any size dog, or think that your pet won't do something that could end in it's death, one way or another.
The same thing goes for a child, as swimming pool and traffic deaths prove. It is easy to get distracted, but no excuse.
I don't believe that animal control for a minute enjoys putting a dog down, and I am sure it is terrible for them to see abuse and irresponsibility by humans. I certainly don't envy them their jobs.
However, there is an option for Onion, and there is a guarantee he will not be adopted out.
The question in my mind is whether Onion is truly a "vicious" dog, or another victim of circumstances.
Consider the event. We know how it began, we can imagine the chaos, the crying, the screaming that went on, strangers arriving, followed by animal control trying to capture him with the wired cables on poles, and finally placed in a strange location of barking dogs.
I wonder what qualified veterinary specialists, who are trained to diagnose and rehabilitate "vicious" dogs, would say after working with Onion for awhile? What would their recommendations be?
Onion has an option that most others do not. It is one of those occasions when we can be merciful rather than killers.
There is no better action that can be taken than for humans to understand their responsibility for their pets and live up to it.
Legal precedence is an issue that I can understand. Can we really say that all the avenues to make sure a pet isn't being labeled "vicious", irresponsibly, have been included in the law?
If owners were legally accountable for the actions of their pets, and if enforced, perhaps there would be fewer failures of owner responsibility.
Perhaps some humans should consider a stuffed toy as a pet rather than a living animal, if they are unwilling to take on the degree of required responsibility needed for caring for them properly.
I have actively worked in the animal industry most of my life. For years, my ranch was contracted to hold animals who were abused, lost, etc, and dealt with the courts in their disposition. This case where Onion acted in an instinctual response, is truly tragic, but since he had no priors, and never manifested any negative intent to harm during his life/and his life pattern, he should be remanded to Lexus.
There is no rhyme nor reason to the City of Henderson pursuing the legal remendy of punishment by death. It is an unpopular position with citizens and therefore a waste of taxpayer money.
With social media, we witness how too often, humans are misguided in their beliefs and perceptions of our animal friends, and foolishly risk safety. Animals are animals, and they are first and foremost, creatures of instinct. Sure, they are capable of being domesticated members of our households, but they still are animals and live by the rules of animals.
Blessings and Peace,
Star