The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a statement Monday declaring a stabbing attack on a pit bull mix in South Los Angeles an act of self-defense.
“The LAPD Animal Cruelty Task Force investigators have been investigating this incident and have spoken to several independent witnesses who support that this incident is not a case of animal cruelty, but rather a case of self-defense,” according to a statement issued by the department’s Media Relations Section.
Said Lt. Andy Neiman, who heads the section: “We understand that animals who are pictured with severe wounds can be very compelling and it is easy to make assumptions about their injuries.
“However, in this particular case, our animal cruelty experts believe that the investigation is revealing this is a case of self-defense by a person faced with a dog who was at-large and in attack mode.
“The LAPD takes the issue of animal cruelty very seriously. This message should not be misconstrued as anything other than the initial reports of this case being an animal cruelty issue are not proving to be accurate based upon the investigators’ findings at this point.”
Spartacus was hit by a shovel, then slashed and stabbed attacked by an angry neighbor at 10th and Florence avenues in South Los Angeles about 4 a.m. Saturday and later underwent two hours of surgery, police said.
“I have 21 years with the police department and I’ve never seen a dog that cut up by somebody,” police Sgt. Tami Baumman told NBC4. “We once in a while have seen somebody get mad and they’ll choke a dog or cut it, but this dog is cut up all over, this is horrible.”
Dr. Laura Kosmo of the Pet Care Center on Slauson Avenue told NBC4 that Spartacus “is very, very lucky.”
“Fortunately he has very thick skin, so I think his thick skin really stopped that blade from getting any deeper,” Kosmo told NBC4.
The neighbor is being sought by police.
Spartacus is recovering in a temporary home.
