By Erin McClary
C & G Staff Writer

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Deputies were shocked to find the scene of what a frantic 911 caller described as a pit bull attacking a deer the morning of Sept. 24.

Responding officers couldn’t believe their eyes, said Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel. A 50-60 pound dog had a 150-pound doe pinned to the ground in a Macomb Township neighborhood near North Avenue and Hall Road (M-59).

When one of the officers called the dog, he came. He even sat on command.

Unfortunately, the officers, after realizing the doe was suffering, had to put her down, Hackel said.

“One of the officers was able to (apprehend the dog) without any injuries to himself,” he said. “He wasn’t violent toward the officer.”

At press time, the dog remained in the custody of Macomb County Animal Control, said Chief Animal Officer Sue Jeroue, who could not say whether he would be euthanized because of the attack.

“At this point, it’s still under investigation — I can’t comment,” she said.

Hackel said a day prior to the incident, a neighbor called to report a lose pit bull roaming around the residential area of Northbrook Road. Concerned for the well being of children nearby, she asked for police to come out, but they couldn’t find the dog.

Around 10:30 a.m. Sept. 24, another caller reported a pit bull in the area “killing a deer.”

“The neighbor was pretty upset,” Hackel said.

Detectives know who the owner is and where they live, but the sheriff was unsure whether they’d actually made contact with the person responsible for watching the dog at the time of the attack.

The dog was legally licensed and tagged, but Hackel said that it’s possible charges would be brought, as Macomb Township has ordinances against unleashed dogs.

There may also be fines from the DNR, he added, for disturbing wild life.

When the report first came in about the attack, officers expected to find a small fawn. Commenting about pictures of the two animals, Hackel said the deer was rather large and the dog looked strong.

He wasn’t sure what would happen to the dog but did say the incident proved that it could pose danger in the community.

“If I lived in that neighborhood, I’d be concerned too,” said Hackel, who lives in the township.

He said Macomb Township does not have ordinances against residents having pit bulls as household pets.

On Sept. 9 in Clinton Township, a pit bull attacked an animal control officer when she responded to a home on reports of a dog bite. The woman was able to fight off the pit bull, but when police arrived, the dog attempted to attack an officer and was shot in the leg. The animal was later euthanized.

Staff Writer Sarah Cormier contributed to this report.