Pit Bulls That Killed 2 Mini Horses In Valley Springs Micro-Chipped And Released Back Home

CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS13) — Two pit bulls that mauled two miniature horses to death in mid-October have been micro-chipped and released to their owner and taken back to Stockton, Calaveras County Animal Services said.

Surveillance footage captured the two dogs attacking the horses at a residence on Holmquist Lane in Valley Springs, Animal Services said on October 17.

Just days after the incident, the mini horse owners told CBS13 the dogs likely came through their neighbor's yard, jumped a fence and ran up to their back door where they attacked the two horses.

The owner of the dogs, Raymond Carringer, 45, was arrested shortly after for a felony probation violation and was since released.

MORE: Owner Of Pit Bulls That Killed 2 Miniature Horses In Calaveras County Arrested

Animal Services said the pit bulls were released on Oct. 25 and that since this was the first substantiated incident in Calaveras County involving either of the dogs, the legal standard for the department to file a "potentially dangerous dog" petition under state law was not met.

"Potentially dangerous dog" means any of the following:

(a) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, engages in any behavior that requires a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury when the person and the dog are off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog.

(b) Any dog which, when unprovoked, bites a person causing a less severe injury than as defined in Section 31604.

(c) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, has killed, seriously bitten, inflicted injury, or otherwise caused injury attacking a domestic animal off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog.