Dog in Newark police incident heading to Florida

One of the dogs from the Newark police incident will be driven to Florida for behavioral treatments, the Brandywine Valley SPCA said.

After more than an hour and a half of officers attempting to grab two stray or abandoned dogs May 11, police ultimately hit them with a patrol vehicle and fatally shot one.

Newark police have said officers tried to coerce the dogs using alternative methods, like dog treats, catch poles and other nonlethal methods. They decided that, because of the location and the number of nearby residents, the dogs were a threat.

A Newark-area resident reported that the surviving dog, a female mixed breed, was in front of their home Saturday.

Office of Animal Welfare officers responded and captured the dog. Atari, the dog's new name, is being kept in quarantine to ensure she does not have rabies.

Once the 10 days of quarantine are done, Atari will be taken to Florida on Sunday for classes and evaluated to participate in "Dogs Playing for Life," said Linda Torelli of the Brandywine Valley SPCA. The program teaches dogs how to interact with humans better with group play classes.

Because police deemed her to be a threat to human life, the shelter is taking precautionary steps to have Atari evaluated before she can be adopted.

She will have a treatment plan in place after assessment. When the classes are done, she will return back to Delaware for adoption.

“Our role is to give Atari every chance for a positive outcome while considering public safety,” said Adam Lamb, chief executive officer of the Brandywine Valley SPCA.

The animal shelter is paying for the care and program but has not responded to the cost of the program.

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Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856 or jhpeterson@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @jopeterson93.