Judge rules dogs should be euthanized after December attack of Luling man
Labeled the worst bite case in Jena Troxler’s eight years as the St. Charles Parish Humane Society’s veterinarian, two Rottweilers implicated in the December attack of a Luling man were both ordered to be euthanized.
“In terms of bite severity, it’s the worst case we’ve dealt with in eight years,” said Troxler, who has since been named the parish’s animal control director. “In 95 percent of bites, they are bites and releases. This was an unrelenting attack that was purposeful and unprovoked.”
Following a three-day trial that spanned two months, Parish 29th Judicial Court Judge Tim Marcel ruled on March 23 that the dogs were vicious and must be euthanized.
According to state law, a dog is defined dangerous if it attacks and requires defensive action by that person to prevent bodily injury when the dog is off the property of its owner. It’s also defined as dangerous when, unprovoked, it bites a person causing injury.
Jerome Jarrow, a resident of Luling who owns the dogs, could not be reached for comment about the case on Monday.Jarrow’s Rottweilers, a 120-pound male and 70-pound female, both about 1-1/2 years old, were taken into custody after Luling resident Kenneth Breaux told Sheriff’s Office deputies and then Animal Control Director Angie Roberts that both dogs attacked him while on a neighborhood walk in mid-December.
Initially, police had taken the male into custody and within 12 hours also took the female into custody.
Breaux, a facilities manager for the St. Charles Parish Library, was hospitalized for wounds on both arms.Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Pat Yoes said the dogs apparently exited Jarrow’s yard through two open gates and approached Breaux at the time of the attack.
Troxler said they are waiting on the court order with the judgment, which has been mandated by court for both dogs being kept at the animal shelter.
“This is a fairly unusual situation,” said Troxler. “Usually, when we have a severe bite case, owners choose to euthanize because of liability, but in this case the owner claimed provocation. This owner claimed his dogs were provoked and justified their attack.”
Jarrow has five days from the March 23 ruling to appeal the decision.
According to Troxler, on the day of the attack, Breaux was carrying a flashlight/Tazer device, which he activated when the dogs started biting him.
“The fact he had the Tazer saved his life,” she said. “He was on the ground at one point. When the male was biting his left arm he tazed him and when the female was biting on his right arm, the Tazer was in her mouth and she was still biting it.”
The dogs were trying to bite Breaux’s neck, which he was defending with his arm, Troxler said.
“They were still circling and attacking him as he stumbled to a neighbor’s door,” she said. “They were still trying to get on him as he was at the neighbor’s door.”
When the neighbor heard a shrill scream outside and came out to ask what was going on, she discovered Breaux and the dogs at her door. She managed to get him inside her house through a smaller opening that kept the dogs outside.
“He was covered in blood and was brought to the hospital by his wife,” Troxler said. “They live a couple of doors down across the street from the dogs.”
Troxler said the case was fairly unusual in it going to court.
Animal owners typically volunteer the animal for euthanasia when it puts anyone’s life to risk, she said. But, in this case, Jarrow hired a lawyer and challenged the allegation that his dogs were responsible for the attack.
The Sheriff’s Office reported Jarrow had received a citation, a misdemeanor, for his animals being loose.
Troxler said a bite scale is used to determine if a dog can be rehabilitated. In this case, the severity of the bites rated a four out of five levels because of the number and depth of the wounds, which means euthanasia is the only option. Level 5 is when the victim dies from the wounds.
“As a veterinarian, euthanasia is our last remedy for these situations, but in this case, a dog with that level of biting as a young adult will cause the same level of harm or more severe the next time it bites,” she said.
Troxler said the Rottweiler is among the nation’s top three breeds, along with German Shepherds and Pit bulls, that insurance companies will not insure because they average the highest number of severe bites.
“But what truly makes or breaks a dog is genetics and how well socialized they are by the owner,” she said. “The dogs may have turned out differently if the owner had put in time training and socializing to the fullest extent rather than being isolated to a back yard.”
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