Local
Oakland Man Arrested in Fatal Lake Merritt Dog Attack That Prompted Warnings About Two Large Dogs
Police arrested an Oakland man Thursday in connection with the October 23 mauling death of a 12-year-old dog named Pepper near Lakeside Park, following reports from other owners about similar attacks by two large dogs and their male owner.
OAKLAND â Police have arrested an Oakland man in connection with a fatal dog attack near Lake Merritt last month, an incident that prompted a wave of similar reports from dog owners across the East Bay and a coordinated investigation by city animal services and police.
The man was taken into custody Thursday, according to authorities. Police have not disclosed what charges he may face or released further details about him.
The attack occurred on October 23, when Tomiquia Moss, California's Housing and Homelessness Secretary, was walking her 12-year-old dog, Pepper, near Lakeside Park. Two large dogs suddenly attacked Pepper, who was taken to a veterinary hospital and died the next morning.
After the mauling became public, other dog owners came forward with accounts of encounters involving two aggressive large dogs and their male owner. Those reports described alleged attacks at four Oakland recreational sites â Lakeside Park, Eastshore Park, Snow Park and Joaquin Miller Park â as well as at the Berkeley Marina and in southwest Berkeley. One flyer circulating online described an earlier mauling at Lakeside Park that allegedly required a dog to undergo two four-hour surgeries.
The accounts raised concerns that the same dogs and owner had been involved in multiple incidents before Pepper was killed. Oakland police and animal services launched a joint investigation that ultimately led to Thursday's arrest.
The current whereabouts of the dogs were not immediately clear.
Oakland Animal Control is asking anyone who witnessed or experienced a recent attack at an East Bay park involving two large dogs to call 510-535-4884 with information.
The case has heightened attention to off-leash and aggressive-dog enforcement at some of Oakland's most heavily used parks, where residents and visitors frequently walk pets. The arrest marks the first known development in the investigation since the reports surfaced.