Photo Credit: Laura Saucedo
(MODESTO, Calif.) -- Laura Saucedo, an avid dog lover and Modesto resident, is actively fighting for her dog's right to live as he he is scheduled to be euthanized following an alleged misconstrued incident.
Laura reached out to OpGov.News and shared her story, providing details of the situation with her beloved dog. Papas, the name of the Great Dane mix that was taken away from Laura and her fiancé, is described as being more than just an pet, but an actual member of their family. He's ultimately described as a family member who has helped them through some of the darkest times in their lives.
From the death of their first dog to the death of their unborn 36-week old son, Laura maintains the incredible love and support Papas gave them through those times was something they couldn’t have lived without.
“Our first son we lost without the chance to fight for, but we can’t lose Papas, as well.” she told OpGov.News. What is she fighting, exactly?
Laura is currently trying to disprove her dog's classification as an aggressive animal following two prior incidents where Papas bit two individuals. The first incident took place while Laura was out with her dog at a store back in 2025. The victim described the whole ordeal as their fault.
“I was petting him while down on my knee; when he moved back, his head hit my chin, resulting in myself falling backwards, and his teeth caught my lip,” the victim said.
The bite resulted in the individual needing stitches. Despite the need for medical attention, the victim maintains that Papas was “neither vicious nor reactive” when the event took place.
“It was clearly an accident”, the victim stated. Despite this, however, once the incident was reported to the hospital, Papas was picked up and transported back to the Stanislaus County Animal Shelter for his bite quarantine, Laura explained. In the following days, there was an abatement hearing where the victim claimed full responsibility for the incident.
Photo Credit: APDTInternational.com
This didn’t seem to help at all. This, however, did little to sway the decision of the City Manager, as Papas was still deemed a “Level 3” vicious dog. According to the Ian Dunbar scale, a six-level classification system designed to rate the severity of dog bites, a Level 3 dog bite is within the middle range, with Level 1 being the lowest, and Level 6 being the highest.
The Official Authorized Version used by professionals defines a Level 3 bite as “One to four punctures from a single bite with no puncture deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth. Maybe lacerations in a single direction, caused by victim pulling hand away, owner pulling dog away, or gravity (little dog jumps, bites and drops to floor).”
Laura also shared information from her therapist, which stated in an email that, “due to the severity of her mental health condition, the support provided by her emotional support animal is an important component of her overall well-being and functioning.” This set in motion several conditions put forth by the City of Modesto that the couple needed to follow to regain custody of their dog.
One of those conditions was that Papas needed to participate in a certified training program specific to dogs with a biting history. Another condition stated that the couple must warn individuals encountering Papas that he has a previous biting history. Fulfilling the request of the first condition, they enlisted the help of Bark Busters Home Dog Training for Papas' aggression training.
According to Bark Busters' own training overview, they specialize in teaching dogs leadership & communication, behavioral support, real-life training, and owner support.
In a letter addressed to the City Manager, Certified Dog Behavioral Therapist & Trainer Sarah E. Harrington gave her assessment of Papas that confirmed what Laura already knew: Papas was not an aggressive animal. OpGov.News reviewed the contents of the email, which was sent to the City Manager on October 10, 2025, which states, ”Based on my direct observation and training experience, Papas is not a vicious, aggressive, or reactive dog toward people.
Photo Credit: Laura Saucedo
She went on to explain, "He consistently displays a gentle and affectionate temperament. Throughout our sessions, he has been responsive to guidance, eager to please, and calm in a variety of environments.”
Upon Papas' return, Animal Control Supervisor David Haubrich also conducted an inspection of the dog’s kennel at the couple's residence to ensure it was up to code. He even inspected their backyard, which Laura thought was odd since she was apparently informed that he was there to only inspect the dog kennel.
Shortly thereafter, Papas was released back to the couple.
Months after the first incident, the couple found themselves in another one. At a family outing one day, the couple couldn't be more careful. Papas was leashed and Laura had announced to everyone in attendance that Papas was not friendly. Following this, Laura’s cousin’s friend had approached Laura and Papas as he sat couched between her legs on a leash.
It was then that the friend had allegedly extended her hand out and bent forward to touch his paw when the individual was bitten. The woman was then self-transported to the hospital.
“There was, again, no latching, pulling, chasing, headshaking, or anything of a vicious nature,” Laura said. The affected individual had allegedly stated that it was their fault, especially since everyone was warned about the dog just prior to the incident.
The following day, Laura’s fiance came home to a letter on their door from the Modesto Police Department Animal Control Supervisor Haubrich. The letter allegedly stated that they needed to contact him as soon as possible, or they’d be charged with obstruction of justice. After calling, Haubrich informed the couple that Papas needed to go in for his bite quarantine, which Laura corrected him on.
“We were told the last time by the officer who took Papas that he only had to do his quarantine at the shelter because his vaccine was expired by a few days,” she explained.
Officer Haubrich allegedly told the couple it was actually up to the officer’s discretion, and Papas was then taken. Laura then stated that the following week, when Papas' quarantine was supposed to end, she called the shelter and was told there was a hold on Papas. She was redirected to Supervisor Haulbrich, who placed the hold. She made multiple attempts to reach him, to which he never answered, even after leaving multiple voicemails.
Photo Credit: Laura Saucedo
Just a few days later, Laura received a notice in the mail regarding an abatement hearing primarily based on what the victim of the recent biting said. On June 15, 2026, Laura, her fiance, and her lawyer attended the abatement hearing. During the meeting, the individual had allegedly stated that she was never warned by Laura at all about Papas.
“She also stated that she asked if he shakes paw, and that I said yes, and therefore she reached for his paw. This was not the case,” Laura explained.
The bite itself, when measured against the Ian Dunbar scale, was apparently no deeper than the length of the canine's teeth and was shallow enough that the doctor told the woman that the wound would heal on its own. It is also worth noting that Laura and her fiance had hired a lawyer who was also present at the hearing.
Supervisor Haubrich, who allegedly was advocating to increase Papas to a Level 4 rating, was asked how many times he’d used the Ian Dunbar scale to rate the hundreds of dog bites he sees every year.
Unable to give a number, Laura alleges he narrowed it down to the past six months, saying he’s used it maybe four to six times within that timeframe. Laura also explained that Haubrich allegedly tried to imply that Papas shook his head as he bit down, which she said never happened.
“There is a clear lack of experience and knowledge that it takes to make an accurate assessment about the severity of dog bites and whether a dog is truly vicious,” she told OpGov.News.
A letter from the City Manager’s Office sent to Laura on June 23, 2026, found that the recent attack following the second abatement hearing satisfied Municipal Code section 5-4.204, classifying Papas as “a continuing danger to the public.” On June 24, 2026, City Manager Joseph Lopez signed the order to remedy the situation by way of humane euthanasia.
“This is the exact reason why people like Haubrich should not oversee making these life-altering decisions, and they should be left up to professionals who would rather rehabilitate a dog than kill them," Laura said.
Following the City Manager’s decision, Laura told OpGov.News that they’ve started a petition regarding the matter and have since filed an appeal.
“I know he misses us just as much as we miss him, and there is no need to kill him when he can be back home.”
This is a developing story. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at yikaileau.w@lead4earth.org
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