Pit Bull Declared Vicious, But Will Not Be Put Down

By Nick Blumberg
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 - 5:34pm

A dog who mauled a child last month will not be put to death, though a judge did rule the animal is vicious.

A pit bull known as Mickey attacked 4-year-old Kevin Vicente, who was left with a broken jaw and eye socket and will require reconstructive surgery. A woman whose boyfriend’s mother was watching the child the day of the attack filed a petition to have Mickey declared vicious, saying he has a history of violence and killed one of her dogs.

Animal advocates have blamed the babysitter for not watching Kevin more closely, and the dog’s owner for keeping him chained and making him aggressive.

Tuesday, a municipal court judge declared the dog is vicious, but did not order euthanasia. Instead, Mickey will be neutered, defanged, and spend the rest of his life in an animal rehab center or shelter.