Condemned dog finds new home

Ranger is no longer on death row.

After Kootenai County commissioners said the 10-year-old German shorthaired pointer must be adopted within 15 days or be euthanized, Ranger has been placed with a new owner outside Kootenai County, according to animal control.

“This person will be able to follow the restrictions needed to maintain a dog of Ranger’s disposition and give him a loving home so he doesn’t have to be euthanized,” said Sandra Osburn, an animal control officer with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Ranger was condemned after escaping from his owner’s home on Stanley Hill east of Coeur d’Alene on May 31. The dog reportedly broke through a screendoor and entered a neighbor’s home, where he killed a cat and bit the cat’s owner. The owner’s injury required two stitches.

Ranger was found loose on multiple occasions after that, Osburn said.

Commissioners placed the blame for the situation on Ranger’s owner, 73-year-old Robert Darakjy.

Darakjy said German shorthaired pointers are “bred to hunt and kill.” He also said Ranger acts as his service dog, though Ranger is not certified.

In a hearing with commissioners last week, Darakjy reportedly said he would “die defending my dog.”

Osburn said Darakjy did not take responsibility for his pet, necessitating Ranger’s removal from his care.

“It’s unfortunate that this circumstance got to where it was, but animal control does need to look out for the safety of the entire community,” she said.

— Keith Erickson and Ralph Bartholdt contributed to this report.