Animal Welfare Officer Attacked by Pet Owner

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Animal Welfare is considering new ways to protect its officers after a pet owner stabbed an officer over weekend.

Animal Welfare Officer John Alvarado was patrolling near Northeast 18th and Coltrane Saturday when he spotted a man walking a pit bull without a leash.

"When the animal officer stopped to chat with him," said Lt. Jerry Phillips of the Oklahoma City Police Department. "At first, they talked fine, and when the animal officer asked him for identification from him, the gentleman, he produced a knife and attacked the animal welfare officer."

The officer suffered a minor cut around his waist, but a stab to the chest did no damage at all because the officer was wearing a bullet proof vest.

"The department doesn't issue a bulletproof vest to our officers at this point," said Rodney Pesch of the city's Animal Welfare. "They can purchase them themselves."

The vest cost anywhere from $500 to $800. A total of three animal welfare officers have bought their own vests, something city leaders were not aware of.

"Our animal control officers are not armed and we try to teach them non-confrontational ways of handling their job," said M.T. Berry, Oklahoma City Assistant Manager.

Physical attacks on the officers are rare and the officers can always call police for backup, but after Alvarado's stabbing incident, the city is now considering getting vests for all the officers.

"This incident is still under investigation and certainly the injury to the officer is under review to see if there is anything else we need to do in terms of providing them additional tools to do their jobs," Berry said.

None of the surrounding municipalities have armed animal welfare officers, but Edmond does provide its officers with bulletproof vests and batons.

Police are still searching for the man who stabbed the officer

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 235-7300.