The Garner Chief of Police told WRAL News Monday morning that he will deny a permit for two dogs involved in a deadly attack to return to their owners.
Under the terms of Garner ordinance, the decision on the "dangerous dog" permit was up to Chief Joe Binns.
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"The attack appeared to occur without provocation," Binns said. "Allowing the dogs to be released would create a substantial and unneccessary danger to the public.
The ordinance does not offer a chance for appeal, but Binns said he expects the owners to file suit seeking an injunction to keep the animals from being euthanized.
Since the April 27 attack, the dogs – Athena, 3, and Blitzen, 8 – have been in the custody of the Wake County Animal Center.
The dogs killed 7-year-old Jayden Henderson, and seriously injured her mother, Heather Trevaskis, at the home of owners Joseph and Amanda White. Trevaskis and her daughter were caring for the dogs while the Whites were out of state.
After the attack, the Whites applied to the Town of Garner for a dangerous dog permit in order to have the dogs returned to them.
In their applications, the Whites say it is not in the dogs' nature to hurt a human. They agreed to build an enclosure for the dogs and keep them muzzled and leashed outdoors.
Raleigh police officer Blake DiCello, who lives across the street from the Whites and ran to help when he heard Trevaskis screams, said the dogs should not be returned.
"How dangerous are these dogs? Absolutely lethal. Absolutely 100 percent, not a doubt in my mind,” DiCello said. "To have the dogs come back, it’s just not right.”
Nearly every resident of the Roan Drive neighborhood where the attack happened has signed a petition asking that the dogs be euthanized.
Jenny O’Donnell, a neighbor, started that petition.
“I have had a little over a 100 people that have signed so far,”O’Donnell said. "I don’t know that anyone feels safe that they would be returned at all.”
WRAL News spoke with Joseph White on Friday, but he declined to comment.