California Woman BACK on suicide watch after German Shepherd puppy euthanized

A distraught California dog owner was put on suicide watch for a second time after her German Shepherd Zeus was euthanized Friday morning – months after being locked up for biting a stranger and the cop who came to seize him. 

Faryal Kabir’s 16-month-old puppy Zeus had been locked up and placed in isolation at Elk Grove Animal Shelter since the dog was seized by animal control officials on July 15, 2022 after it was deemed dangerous.   

Lawyers Andrew Shalaby and Christine Kelly had prevented the dog from being euthanized twice, but during their third attempt to release the dog after a 105-day lock up the dog was killed.

On Friday, an email was sent to both attorney’s  informing them that the dog was ‘euthanized humanely.’

Faryal Kabir, Zeus attorney Andrew Shalaby went to his client’s home hours after the execution to share the harrowing news. 

Kabir sobbed uncontrollably upon finding out her dog was put to death, according to audio obtained by DailyMail.com.

In the recording she can be heard screaming and repeating:  ‘No! No! Please don’t do this to me,’ Kabir wails. 

A member of the Kabir family told DailyMail.com that they had zero warning that Zeus had been killed and they had no time to prepare their loved one.

They said she locked herself in her bedroom threatening to kill herself. They called 911 and waited an agonizing two hours for police to arrive. 

‘The whole family was terrified,’  he said. ‘They took her out in handcuffs. They were so cruel to her. You can never imagine.  No one was sympathetic. No one cared. All they did was take the report.’

Kabir remains in hospital and is sedated on tramadol as her lawyers and family fight to get justice for Zeus.

On Friday, the city of Elk Grove issued a release stating that the German Shepherd dog known as Zeus, who was designated as a dangerous animal, was humanely euthanized by the City of Elk Grove consistent with a previously issued administrative order.

‘This has been a difficult situation for all involved in this matter, and the City does not take this action lightly,’ the release said.

‘The City takes its duty to preserve public safety and protect the community very seriously. While some members of the public asked the City to consider alternatives to euthanasia, the dog’s established bite history and dangerous propensities presented too great of a risk to public safety for this community, or any other community to which the animal may have been relocated,’ the statement read.

The process that led to today’s action began following the first unprovoked attack on a resident on May 16, 2022. Two administrative hearings were conducted by two separate independent hearing officers on June 8, 2022, and August 15, 2022. The first hearing officer confirmed that the dog was properly designated as a dangerous animal and imposed keeping restrictions for the animal.

The second hearing officer concluded that the owner failed to comply with mandated keeping restrictions, that the dog bit a police officer, and ordered the dangerous animal to be humanely euthanized. 

‘The courts have consistently ruled in favor of the City in a number of legal challenges on this issue,’ the statement said. ‘The City delayed euthanasia of the animal for almost two months to allow time for the owner to pursue judicial remedies with the courts, but efforts by the owner in both state and federal court for a stay of the euthanasia or other related relief have been unsuccessful.’

‘Continued housing of the dangerous animal was not in the public or the animal’s interest. The humane euthanasia of the dangerous animal was necessary and appropriate in this instance.

Shalaby told DailyMail.com that under the city of Elk Grove municipal code, one bite only classifies a dog as ‘potentially dangerous.’

He said Elk Grove’s press release and video of Zeus biting the police officer is ‘a serious misrepresentation.’

‘Zeus was killed because he bit two people, one of which was a police officer, because Zeus was handed his death sentence 52 minutes before he bit the police officer. He was handed his death sentence before the Animal Control officer even called the police.’

The harrowing ordeal started back in May when Zeus had bit a man. The man suffered some bites to his leg and filed a report.

Kabir was sent a letter from the city informing her that her dog was deemed a dangerous animal. On June 8, a hearing was scheduled.

Kabir’s attorney told DailyMail.com that Zeus had already been deemed dangerous by the city before the hearing was even arranged. He said his client got locked out of the meeting and therefore, was unable to defend herself and her dog.   

She maintained that she followed all of the guidelines, which also included eight weeks of obedience training, getting a license that classified Zeus as a dangerous dog and buying a leash, as well as a muzzle. 

Animal control officers had gone to Kabir’s home on July 13- two days before they seized the dog.

 ‘They had no business whatsoever going to Kabir’s home before the compliance deadline. In the video the animal service officials admitted that they were there early to seize the animal.’ 

Zeus’s fate was ultimately sealed after biting a shelter cop during that visit. 

‘The officer [Animal Service Officer Crystel Mocek] got angry that my client refused to let her into her home before the compliance deadline – and then two days later – on July 15th they showed up in a spiteful manner.’ 

Zeus had been set to be euthanized twice but Shalaby and attorney Christine Kelly with The Animal Law Office filed two lawsuits in both state and federal court to stop Zeus from being euthanized.

At the time, Kelly, who was handling the federal portion of the case, told DailyMail.com that she ‘doesn’t understand why the city is so drastic.’

‘The alleged bites are very minor, and not rising to the level of the death penalty,’ she said. ‘I think they are using Zeus as an example and are afraid of backing down, for fear of being accused of being wrong.’

Shalaby then filed another lawsuit in state court – called injunctive relief – calling for the city to release Zeus on the grounds that they seized him before the law allowed them to do so.

‘It’s beyond cruel. That dog is 100% innocent,’ he said. ‘It is intentional and unjustifiable revenge by Officer Mocek.’ 

Kabirs lawyers say Zeus only bit the cop to try and ‘defend himself,’ and that the dog’s attack was unprovoked.

Kabir told DailyMail.com that Zeus was her world, since she has no children, no spouse.

She was so distraught that on October 7 that she was taken to the hospital after relatives feared she would kill herself. Five days later she was released.

During this time, Shalaby was trying to get in touch with the city to get Zeus released. 

On October 13, DailyMail.com contacted both attorney’s for the city of Elk Grove – Jonathan Hobbs and David Tyra to find out why Zeus was seized five days before she the deadline.

Hobbs never responded to their request but, Tyra responded and told DailyMail.com it was an ‘active litigation’ and could not comment on the case. 

DailyMail.com then called animal control supervisor, Alicia Neranda to find out why Officer Crystel Mocek went to Kabir home five days early to seize the dog. Neranda did not respond to our request for comment. 

On October 18, the PIO from the Elk Grove Police Department responded stating that  ‘due to the pending litigation, we are not release any additional information than what has already been released already.’

‘The remaining questions have been submitted to the City Clerk as a PRA,’ they said. 

Ten days later, Oct. 28, 2022, Shalaby and Kelly were notified by email from city attorney, David Tyra informing them that Zeus had been ‘euthanized humanely’ earlier in the day.

Hours after Zeus’ execution Shalaby told DailyMail.com: ‘Elk Grove lied to the news, to the public, to kill and innocent dog, to punish a human and to stop the publicity,’ he said.

‘He did not bite multiple people or 3 people. He bit an animal control officer because they came to take him and kill him. He had a right to defend his life, and they killed this innocent one-year old German Shepherd,’ Shalaby said.

He continued: ‘They lied to CBS, ABC, Reuter, MSN, Sacramento Bee, Yahoo News, DAILY MAIL and all the other news media. And, then they took his owner away in handcuffs for a suicide hold seven hours ago. The cruelty is unfathomable.’

Now Shalaby is planning to file a judicial misconduct complaint.

The family said they had asked for the return of Zeus’ body so Kabir, who is Muslim, could wash it before burial.

On Monday, Tyra sent an email to Shalaby informing him that Zeus’ remains were at the Elk Grove Animal Shelter and can be picked up and given back to the family.