Dog euthanized after deadly attack on elderly owner
A dog that killed a Las Vegas woman last month was euthanized, Las Vegas city officials said Monday.
Buck the pit bull mauled Joan Cafflel, 89, on Aug. 9 at an apartment at 4124 Pennwood Ave., between Valley View Boulevard and Arville Street, authorities said at the time.
After Caffel’s death, city spokesman Jace Radke said Buck had previously been deemed vicious by the city. The dog was housed at The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas until it was put down by an Animal Foundation veterinarian on Sept. 2.
A city ordinance states that an animal can be deemed vicious if it constitutes a physical threat to people or animals. On Aug. 19, city officials notified Cafflel’s grandson, Peyton Faircloth, of the designation, and Faircloth decided not to appeal the designation.
“I feel if an animal is going to cross that boundary and attack and kill a person, that is a bad animal,” Faircloth said. “If I fight it and save him who is to say he couldn’t do it again?”
Faircloth and Cafflel’s caregiver, Gelena Kelly, described the animal’s actions that day as shocking and out of character. Kelly said she witnessed the animal dragging Cafflel by the neck from her bedroom and into another bedroom at the time of the attack. Kelly then hid in a bedroom until police arrived after seeing a crazed look in Buck’s eyes, fearing she would be next.
Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Sabrina Schnur contributed to this report.