COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The dog involved in an attack that led to the partial amputation of a woman’s leg will be euthanized after a Muscogee County Superior Court Judge ruled the case meets the requirements for euthanasia.
Judge John Martin held a hearing on Wednesday where the city of Columbus requested that the dog involved in a March 1 attack in the Waverly Terrace neighborhood be put down.
Martin said the case met the requirements for the pitbull known as “Cowboy” to be euthanized. Here’s what Judge Martin had to say in his closing remarks:
If my dog had done this, I would, from your perspective, I would not be willing to risk the fact that another innocent person or child could lose their life based on conduct that’s already been proven,” said Judge Martin.
WRBL previously reported a Columbus non-profit housing executive Kim Golden was attacked by Cowboy while inspecting a home in the area.
Golden was treated at the scene before eventually being airlifted to an Atlanta hospital where she had part of her left leg amputated.
Cowboy has since been held by Columbus Animal Control after it was labeled as vicious. The owners appealed that to the Animal Control Advisory Board on April 13. The board upheld this viscous label, which meant the dog would have had to register and there would have been a number of requirements including insurance by the dog owner.
Attorney Thomas Gristina says these were unusual measures taken to eliminate what he called a community threat.
“Any reasonable dog owner would have euthanized his own dog after an attack like this,” said Gristina. “So that’s why they’re not litigated very often. The city shouldn’t have had to pay us to do this. Mr. Murray and Mrs. Crockett should have euthanized Cowboy the day this happened.”
WRBL News 3 will keep you updated on new details as they become available.
