Dog That Attacked Man Adopted From Humane Society

INDIANAPOLIS -- A dog shot and killed by police after it attacked a man last week had been adopted just weeks earlier from the Humane Society of Indianapolis.

James Bates, 23, was attacked by two of his neighbor's pit bulls in the 5900 block of Grandview Drive on the morning of March 4, suffering puncture wounds and lacerations to his face, ears and feet.

One of the dogs was shot and killed by police, while the other was shot and later put down. Marion County Sheriff's Deputy Shawn Middleton, who owned the dogs, was cited in the attack.

He had adopted one of the pit bulls from the Humane Society on Jan. 8. Police said his neighbors first called 911 on Jan. 12 to report aggressive dogs, 6News' Joanna Massee reported.

Humane Society of Indianapolis Director John Aleshire said the dog showed no signs of aggression before it was adopted.

"We do not adopt out aggressive dogs, period," he said. "We saw no signs of aggression that would cause us to be concerned here."

Before they can be adopted, animals undergo thorough behavior testing, including putting a hand-shaped instrument near the animal's food bowl to see if it growls or bites, Aleshire said.

He said the pit bull in question passed all of the tests, but that as a contingency of its adoption, the new owner was required to take it to obedience training.

"Mandatory obedience is not because the dog is aggressive, it is just a handful and an energetic dog," Aleshire said. "Our policies have been thorough and we are very satisfied with the policies that we have."

He said it's unclear if Middleton took the animal to obedience training.

Bates said he still has flashbacks to the attack.

"Sometimes I wake up, I look out the window, and I can see myself still fighting, fighting the ordeal," he said.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing the case.