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The Animal Haven in North Haven had previously stated it would not put down the animal after protests erupted to save the dog, named Sarge. However, after veterinarians deemed the dog "untreatable and unrehabilitatable," the group said it had no choice, according to a Facebook post.
After consulting with veterinarians, animal behaviorists, and animal control, we concluded euthanasia was necessary. Sarge’s unprovoked attack on our volunteer resulted in level 5 bites to her face — the highest level short of death. His behavior was described as ‘pathologically abnormal’ and ‘untreatable and unrehabilitatable.’ Given that, the risk of another severe attack was far too great to responsibly and ethically ignore.
Sarge attacked the volunteer on Thursday, March 5. Dogs that attack humans are often euthanized so veterinarians can test them for rabies, but local animal protection groups protested the decision.
Initially, The Animal Haven agreed to spare the dog, saying it would work to find Sarge a suitable home since the victim was already receiving preventative rabies treatment despite no positive test.
The victim is expected to undergo multiple additional surgeries to repair damage from the attack.
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