South Bay : DOG-DAY VICTORY
The owners of a dog have filed a lawsuit against El Segundo and have received an extension to keep the canine alive.
Melinie Prosk filed a lawsuit with Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 16 that challenges the city’s authority to sentence the dog to death along with the process the city used to declare the dog vicious.
The death sentence has been suspended and an April 18 hearing has been scheduled to discuss the matter, said Prosk’s attorney, Michael Rotsten.
Captain Sinbad was ordered into exile from the community Feb. 8 after the dog mauled a resident. Under a city ordinance, the El Segundo City Council could have legally sentenced the 5 1/2-year-old Alaskan malamute to death but members decided that the dog could remain alive so long as it was neutered and sent to an animal psychiatrist for evaluation, retraining and relocation.
The 95-pound dog was supposed to be destroyed Feb. 16 if the owner did not meet the necessary provisions to keep him alive. “The conditions they have asked us to comply with are impossible,” Rotsten said.
Councilman Michael Robbins said the city will comply with the court order but that he still believes the dog should be removed from the community.
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