Andrea Rosebrock 
Recently I’ve posted a couple of stories on Zeus, a Florida German Shepherd owned by the Oteros who bit a Verizon repairman, William Flick. The Otero’s were planning to make an appeal to the governor to save the life of their canine companion who was believed to be schedule to be put down today.
Up to now we’re only heard one side of the story, the Otero’s, who claimed that Flick requested to come into their home and when Mr. Otero offered to put Zeus away, Flick demurred saying he liked dogs and when he went to enter the home the dog put his paws on the man’s chest and Flick responded in what may have appeared to the dog as a threatening manner and attacked him.
Now we hear ‘the other side’ of the story which differs quite a bit.
Bite victim not seeking dog’s death
William Flick, who was attacked by the German shepherd awaiting destruction by Sarasota County Animal Services, isn’t asking that Zeus be destroyed.
It’s not his decision, however. Bob Elek, a spokesman for Verizon, Flick’s employer, said the dog’s fate isn’t up to them, it’s up to the county.
Zeus, who belongs to Ana and Gilberto Otero of Nokomis, is to be destroyed because its attack is considered under Florida Statute 767.13 to have left severe injuries.
A representative of the Sarasota County sheriff’s office said the dog’s destruction has not been scheduled, despite Ana Otero’s belief Zeus was to be destroyed June 22.
The attack
Elek said Flick, who deferred questions to his employer, was bitten eight times by Zeus, and Flick said he did nothing to provoke the dog.
Flick was on the property to fix some cables outside the Oteros’ home. According to Elek, Gilberto Otero asked Flick to come inside to look at some cables. Flick refused because the Oteros are not the owners of the property and can’t request work be done.
Flick petted Zeus while they were on the Oteros’ porch, and when he took his hands off the dog, it attacked.
According to Elek, Flick was bitten in the groin first; Ana Otero said Zeus never bit Flick in the groin.
Elek also said Flick was bitten on the knee, causing him to fall down. When he threw his arms over his head in protection, the dog bit him on the elbow down to the bone, removing a piece of flesh.
Flick has nerve damage to the elbow area, Elek said, but he doesn’t know if the damage is permanent.
Elek said Flick told him he was scared for his life during the attack.
In a prior interview Ana Otero questioned how Flick’s injuries could be severe, as he did not get any stitches. Elek said Flick was supposed to leave his wounds open so bacteria would not grow inside the wounds.
According to Elek, Flick was not able to do his normal job for five weeks. He was out for one week and on light duty for a month after that.
‘Multiple bites’
Judge Phyllis Galen, who denied the Oteros’ appeal of Zeus’ destruction, said in an e-mail interview that she was satisfied the standards of Florida law had been met.
“Florida Statues define severe injury in section 767.11(3),” Galen wrote. “Multiple bites were proven in this case, thus qualifying as severe injury.
“While this type case is extremely difficult for all involved, it is the responsibility of the judge to follow the law.”
Contrary to statements from Ana Otero and Elise Matthes, president of Sarasota in Defense of Animals, that a request had been made to send Zeus to an out-of-state facility, Galen said no attorney in this case has made such a request.
SDA has started a campaign to get Gov. Charlie Crist to “pardon” Zeus; Crist has yet to issue his decision. (Venice Gondolier)
It’s easy to understand that both parties would want to put as innocent a face as possible on their actions regarding this incident. The facts of the case are incontrovertible, that Flick was at the Otero home doing some work, that he was bitten multiple times by Zeus, the attack most likely taking place in the area of the entryway which could show that Flick was at the door and it was opened which allowed Zeus to exit the home.
Beyond that, it’s the Otero’s word against Flick’s. Who do you believe and does it really matter? It seems that the judges’ main consideration was that Flick was bitten ‘multiple times’ and that this fit the statute that allowed them to order Zeus to be put down.
Did Flick do something which would have provoked the attack? Honestly, we may never know. Hearing this side of the story do I still think Zeus should be spared? Yes, I do. I think he should at least have the chance to be evaluated for temperment by someone who is qualified to do this. Regardless of which side of the story you believe, there is only one here who will pay the ‘ultimate’ price and that’s Zeus. Yes, I am sorry for the pain and suffering that Flick has gone thru and possibly will continue to go thru but he will live and he will heal. Just give Zeus a chance!
UPDATE 7/27/07 -ZEUS TO BE SET FREE!!!
OK, I know this is going to sound bad, but — I disagree. This isn’t an ambiguous did-he-or-didn’t-he type bite case. Everyone involved agrees he bit, and it’s clear that the bites were severe in nature, not just nips or grips.
I hold two parties responsible for this — the owners who are too irresponsible to keep their dog out of a situation where it had potential to bite, and the dog itself. There are too many good, stable natured dogs out there who need homes to waste time and energy on unstable dogs who are human aggressive. Add to that the fact that the LAST people who should own a human aggressive dog are owners who aren’t cautious enough to lock their dog up when strangers are in the house, and you have the potential for even more damage.
So should Zeus be put down? Yes, unless a good, experienced animal trainer and behaviorist agrees he has potential for re-homing. Should he be returned to his former owners? Not a chance, unless they’re willing to take a course with a good, experienced trainer themselves.
And yes, I know I’m bitchy. But I don’t like hearing about ‘poor’ dogs that ‘didn’t mean to bite’. Too many of those dogs end up in rescue, where they become someone else’s heartache to deal with.
Carol
Carol, when it comes to dog bites, I believe the blame falls squarely on the head of the owner or the victim. Either the owner didn’t train the dog properly, the owner didn’t know their dog or they didn’t take the responsibility to control their dog properly. At times its even the fault of the victim for provoking the dog or going into the dog’s territory. I cannot blame the dog because dogs are what people make of them. Yes, I do believe some dogs are born with an aggressive drive but these are the dogs that need strong owners that can handle and control them or sadly if they are beyond control, as difficult as it is for me to say, need to be put to sleep.
In this case I just think the dog should have a chance to be fairly and impartially evaluated for temperament. If it is shown that he is too aggressive then I agree, he should be put down, he would be a danger. But I would at least like to see him given that chance.
And no, I don’t think you are bitchy. You breed and train dogs and that would mean that know more about dogs then the average person and I do not discount what you say but the whole and true story here may never be known. If Flick did something that the dog construed as threatening then when he fell to the ground and was yelling and flailing around that would explain the ‘multiple bites’. I’m not saying that it’s ok or acceptable, just that since we will never know what really happened, I’d like to see the dog evaluated.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, you do have some excellent points, there are too many dogs out there that desperately need homes and there are too many dogs that are unsuitable as pets that become problems again and again.
Hi,
I’m one of the 2 behaviorists who evaluated Zeus at the facility where he’s been confined since March. I’ve made a study of canine behavior and my credentials include a BA in the Behavioral Sciences with a 3.9 GPA after studying at Purdue University for 3 years and USF for 1. Over the past 3 years, I’ve rehabilitated scores of aggressive shelter dogs and troubled family pets. In addition, I daily manage a pack of 20+ dogs (many of which have been considered dangerous and unadoptable).
I was at the latest trial and waited to take the stand, but the judge refused to allow me to testify, and also chose not to view the video of both evaluations of Zeus performed at the Sheriff’s Animal Services facility. After refusing to view key evidence, she later upheld the previous judge’s order to kill Zeus.
On top of evaluating Zeus, I also had the opportunity to hear arguments in the trial and see the pictures of the wounds which were admitted into evidence. Now I’m not a medical expert, but I’ve seen a lot of bite wounds, and on the whole these wounds were pretty minor. Also, after hearing directly from witnesses about how the incident went down, it’s my opinion that the dog was only trying to get the flailing repairman away from his disabled owner, and not trying to inflict serious damage.
I don’t know much about the other behaviorist brought in to evaluate Zeus… just that he runs a facility where, among other forms of training, he does police dog training. His specialties also include aggressive dogs. Without ever meeting or communicating with one and other, our reports agreed completely that Zeus was in no way a vicious animal and that he should not be destroyed.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Constantine
I am so very happy this turned out this way!!! Now Zeus can go home where he belongs with the family who loves him and fought for him every step of the way