Three pit bulls were taken to an Alachua County Animal Services kennel after they killed a dog three weeks ago.
Linda Swinburn, 50, was walking her emotional support dog, Bella, when the pit bulls attacked Sept. 22 at the 5800 block of Northwest 29th Terrace. Swinburn tried to pry the dogs away from Bella, but they snapped the dog’s neck.
Nathaniel Pettiford, 42, the pit bulls’ owner, was ordered Tuesday to give the dogs to Alachua County Animal Services, according to court records. Pettiford brought in the dogs Thursday afternoon, Assistant County Manager Gina Peebles said.
The dogs will remain in a kennel until a hearing is held to decide if they are considered dangerous, Peebles said. Pettiford will be charged $10 per dog for each day they stay in the kennel.
Colleen Regan, 36, left unscathed when Pettiford’s dogs chased her in June. She said she was horrified as she watched the same dogs pull Bella apart.
“I have been fearful of these dogs for the past two years, and animal control has done nothing,” Regan said.
Pettiford was arrested on a warrant Oct. 4, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report. He was charged with inflicting injury and animal cruelty and was released on a $55,000 bond.
Bella’s death was the fourth time in 14 months Pettiford’s dogs escaped his house to attack a person or dog, the report said.
“Alachua County feels there is enough evidence that the dogs should be deemed dangerous,” Peebles said.
Pettiford is seeking to challenge the county at the hearing, Peebles said. A date for the hearing has not been set yet but will be scheduled within the next three weeks.
Pettiford must have $500,000 worth of insurance for the dogs, post warning signs on his property and sterilize the dogs if they are deemed dangerous, Peebles said.
Pettiford could not immediately be reached for comment.
Swinburn said she was traumatized by the attack on her dog and is angry the pit bulls may return to Pettiford.
“Bella will never have a chance because she was killed in my own arms,” Swinburn said. “She was my child.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
Linda Swinburn's dog, Bella, who was killed in an attack.
