Mesa resident complains of mishandled pit-bull attack, asks city to improve animal-control response

Eric Litvac told the Mesa City Council on June 16 that he was attacked by a pit bull on May 2 at a Mesa RV park and criticized the police department and animal-control response, saying the dog was not quarantined and the owner was not cited or located.

Litvac said the attack sent him to the emergency room and an ambulance and left him with “over a dozen bites and deep scratches on my body and face.” He said police and animal control did not properly quarantine the dog and that the owner and animal left the park the next day, leaving residents and the community at risk.

Litvac also told the council he received conflicting information from police and animal control about whether a quarantine was required. “The police stated that since the dog was not exhibiting any symptoms that would, quote, require a quarantine per policy, unquote, the officer did everything right,” he said. Litvac said the statute and ordinance require quarantine; he characterized the departments’ responses as incorrect and inadequate and asked the city to review training and expand animal control coverage for nights and weekends.

Litvac said he had contacted the city manager and sent emails and memos but had not received a satisfactory response. He asked animal control at minimum to contact the dog's owner to check on the dog’s health; he said animal control declined, saying it had no jurisdiction because a 10-day quarantine period had expired. He told the council he found that explanation legally and medically incorrect.

What happened at the meeting: the complaint was raised during public comment. The mayor said staff often follows up with speakers after the meeting; a council member replied, “We'll follow-up on your email,” in response to Litvac’s remarks. No formal action or vote was recorded on the matter during the meeting.

Requests made by the speaker included clarifying quarantine requirements, improved police and animal-control training, and expanded animal-control coverage during nights and weekends.