Board upholds abatement order requiring owner to confine dogs after cattle attacks

The Lake County Board of Supervisors on an appeal hearing modified and affirmed an animal‑control abatement order after livestock on Lower Elk Mountain Road were found injured and killed by animals in late November and December.

County Animal Control and Public Services staff described a sequence of calls and evidence that led to the impoundment of four canines earlier in December. Public Services Director Greg Wilkins told the board that county staff received photos and reports from the Delbar family documenting injured and deceased cattle and that two of the four dogs had previously been impounded by county staff.

An owner, Courtney Palmer, who appealed the abatement order, denied that her dogs had caused the most severe damage and said two animals were puppies only months old. “If anyone can look at the pictures, you could clearly see that 4 k nines could not do that, tear the inside of a cow out,” Palmer told the board.

Members of the Delbar family described discovering multiple carcasses and injured animals beginning Nov. 28 and said they repeatedly sought help from county animal control. Matthew Delbar, who manages the ranch operation for the family, recounted the losses and said the family tried to work with county staff during the holidays. “This has been a really trying month,” he said.

A retired USDA wildlife‑services specialist called by the Delbars reviewed photographs of the carcasses and said the wounds were consistent with domestic dog attacks rather than mountain lion or black‑bear depredation. “After reviewing these pictures, I leaned definitely towards those are dog damage,” he told the board.

County staff reported that the animals were impounded after they were located on nearby property and taken to Mendocino County animal control before being returned to Lake County. Animal-control staff provided a written abatement order requiring, in summary, that the owner: (1) confine the dogs in a permanent, enclosed kennel meeting county standards; (2) microchip and vaccinate the animals; (3) have them spayed or neutered before release; and (4) pay holding, veterinary and processing fees charged by the shelter and county (initial holding and administrative costs noted in staff materials total $1,934; additional vet and spay/neuter charges were described as pending).

The Delbars estimated livestock losses at about $64,000 and said animals still on the ranch show injuries consistent with the attacks. Several neighbors also testified they had seen similar dogs on their property and described dogs behaving aggressively around livestock.

The board considered the appeal, received public testimony and then moved to adopt a modified abatement order. The board’s motion directed that all abatement conditions be satisfied and all shelter and veterinary fees paid by a firm deadline of Jan. 21; staff said a failure to comply with the abatement order by that date would allow Animal Control to proceed under county code to humanely destroy the animals if necessary.

The board’s action was approved by voice vote; the record indicates a unanimous board decision to uphold the abatement order with the modifications and deadline. The abatement order remains subject to the county’s administrative and statutory procedures for enforcement; county counsel advised the board that fines and other penalties depend on separately cited violations of county code.

Ending: Animal Control staff will update the board and the parties about compliance status; if the owner meets the conditions by Jan. 21 the animals may be released after payment of all required fees and completion of the listed veterinary steps. If the conditions are not met the animal-control code authorizes further steps up to and including humane destruction of the animals.