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Dog Attacks Grand Traverse County Deputy, Kills Another Dog

“I think the officer’s actions put an end to what could have been an even more serious situation.”

One dog is dead and another is healing from a gunshot wound. A deputy was left with several dog bites and scratches.

The Grand Traverse County sheriff’s office says they got a call about an aggressive dog Friday.

They were called to a home in Interlochen where they found one dog dead, and another that lunged at a deputy.

9&10’s Megan Woods has more on the attack, and the officer’s response.

The dog owner of an attacking dog says both dogs lived on a property and they were shocked when they got the call.

“Then when my mom told me which dog it was I broke down because my dogs are like my kids and I got here and it was even worse,” Amber Kraft said.

Amber Kraft has 7 kids, 3 of her own and four pitbulls. Her grandmother who lives with them owns Mojo.

He would sit there every day and bark at my dogs and antagonize my dogs at the fence and he would just sit there and bark at them, get them and just get them all worked up,” Kraft said.

Kilo hopped over the fence and attacked and killed Mojo.

That’s when the deputy was called.

The officer just had seconds to react and his response was to obtain his taser which he did and as he was trying to deploy that to protect himself, the pitbull had bit his hand causing the taser to fall out his hand so the dog continued to attack him,” Lt. Chris Barsheef, Grand Traverse County Sherriff’s Office said.

The deputy was sustaining injuries to mainly his arms. He then decided to shoot Kilo, grazing his mouth.

He’s got nine staples in his lip and once those come out we won’t know what kind of scar. They said had it been one inch over they would have hit him in an artery and he would have bled out,” Kraft said.

Now an investigation has to be done.

“We don’t believe the dog owner had any hand in having this dog attack our officer it was just a random event so we don’t anticipate seeking any charges of an assault like nature through this investigation,” Barsheef said.

The sheriff’s office says whenever a deputy fires their gun an internal investigation also has to be done.

Kilo the pitbull is currently being quarantined for 10 days at his home.

Under state regulations a dog has to be quarantined for rabies after a bite whether it involves a person or another animal if the owner still wants the dog.

Veterinarians say within those ten days a dog can show signs of rabies.

“As long as they’re vaccinated they can go back home to their owner, as long as there is not an active court case or what is deemed a vicious animal. A vicious animal is an animal that has killed one or more animal or has mauled, killed a person or child,” Pamela Graves, Bay Area Animal Hospital said.

If Kilo does have rabies he will then have to return to the vet and the deputy will need to return to the hospital to get treated.

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