Dog killed by 2nd dog in Alfalfa; owner cited

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies are continuing to investigate a recent dog-on-dog attack at Reynolds Pond in Alfalfa that left one of the dogs with fatal injuries, the other quarantined and its owner cited on charges of animal nuisance and dog at large.

The Aug. 5 attack resulted in the death of a 17-pound Whippet mixed-breed dog that was less than 2 years old. The owner of the dog that was killed said Tuesday she had been walking her dog and was leaving the pond when her dog was approached and attacked by pit bull, later identified by authorities as a 7-year-old pit bull named Lily.

The attack lasted between 20 and 30 minutes as the owners and witnesses tried to free the smaller dog, with no success. The dog was taken to a veterinary emergency room, but was euthanized due to severe injuries.

The owner of the dog that was killed, Jenny Julian, said she is frustrated that deputies did not immediately impound the other pit bull.

“In a county that I’ve that done a lot of volunteering in that is near the Portland area, a dog like this would be immediately impounded,” Julian said. “There would not be any question at all. A human has been bitten and a dog has been attacked unprovoked and killed. I was really shocked and really horrified, actually, that in Deschutes County that is not enough.”

Sheriff’s Sgt. William Bailey said Tuesday deputies as of Monday night found and identified the owner of the pit bull as Phillip Briley, 41, of Bend. He’s been cited for animal nuisance and dog at large, and the dog is in 10-day quarantine.

An investigation is being conducted to determine if the dog has a prior history with aggression with other dogs and/or people, Bailey said.

“It’s a case-by-case basis,” Bailey said. “We’re going to look at the location and the circumstances. We look at the history, if there is any other dog-on-dog or dog-on-person attacks, and all of that will be determined … to figure out enforcement action.”

Bailey said there have been similar circumstances in which a dog has been euthanized due to aggressive behavior, but each case is handled differently, based on the specifics