Posted on: Monday, February 24, 2003

Neighbor's dogs accused of killing family's pets

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer

Charles Herrmann of rural Wai'anae said he watched helplessly as his mixed Labrador retriever, Cowboy, was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs Thursday morning. He said the attack was the second time in six months that the same dog pack had killed a family pet.

Herrmann said his wife, Sherrie, saw their pure-bred keeshond, Chewie, killed by the same dogs in September.

Police and the Hawaiian Humane Society investigated the Labrador retriever's death on Thursday.

Police issued a dangerous dog citation to the Herrmanns' neighbor, William Sotelo, owner of the dogs that Herrmann says killed his keeshond and Labrador.

Eve Holt, spokeswoman for the Humane Society, said her records show that 49 dangerous-dog citations have been issued on O'ahu since the dangerous-dog law went into effect in July 2001. She said such citations are unusual, considering that there are 102,500 dogs on O'ahu.

The explanation for the dog attacks along the remote Haleahi Road area where both families live depends on which side of the fence the story comes from. The Herrmanns and Sotelos give differing accounts of what has resulted in the deaths of at least three neighborhood dogs in recent months.

The Herrmanns, who have only one dog left, maintain that the Sotelo dogs savagely attacked and killed their pets as well as numerous stray dogs and cats in the area. According to the Sotelos, who say they feel bad about the Herrmanns' pets, the Herrmanns' dogs came into their yard last year and killed one of their dogs.

The Humane Society issued additional citations to Sotelo on Thursday for having unregistered dogs. The society's investigator reported finding six dogs at the Sotelo residence, only two of which were registered.

The investigator said all the Sotelo dogs were confined to the Sotelo property during the visit and, because they were well-behaved, the animals were allowed to remain. The final disposition of the dogs will be decided by the judge who oversees the mandatory hearing on the dangerous dog citation. No date has been set for that hearing.

Holt said her office responded to several calls from the Herrmanns after it received the report that their first dog had been killed in September. She said the couple wanted the society to have the attacking dogs destroyed. But she said the couple never made a formal statement about what happened.

"We are an enforcement organization and we can't proceed without a witness willing to make a statement," Holt said. "You can't go into court without having evidence."

Sotelo and his wife, Lurlain, say they know how difficult it is to lose an animal because last year their dog Cannabis was killed by dogs. The Sotelos say it was the Herrmanns' dogs that killed Cannabis.

Charles Herrmann said he recognized the Sotelos' dogs when they attacked Cowboy. But the Sotelos say the remote area where they live is a notorious dumping ground for stray dogs, many of which resemble their 25-pound poi dogs.

They question how anyone can be positive which dogs killed the Herrmanns' pets.

They also said that if the Herrmanns had come over and spoken with them, the two families could have dealt with the conflict in a neighborly manner. They say they don't know why the Herrmanns chose instead to contact police, the Humane Society and Councilman Mike Gabbard's office without talking to them first.

"We feel for them," said Lurlain Sotelo. "We're caring people. We were shocked when they called the authorities. We live less than a minute away."

Patty Teruya, community legislative assistant for Gabbard's office, said the councilman is aware of the dog incident but wants to know more details about what happened before deciding what action to take.