The fate of a 10-year-old German shorthaired pointer who has attacked and killed two cats and bitten the owner of one of those felines will be decided by Kootenai County commissioners.

For the past several weeks the dog, whose name is Ranger, has been held on an “impoundment and destruction” order after repeatedly escaping from his owner’s home east of Coeur d’Alene on Stanley Hill.

“The dog’s owner has permitted him to run at large for quite some time now and there have been multiple reports, on three particular occasions, where he has attacked someone’s pet cat and in two of those incidents the cats died,” said Sandra Osburn, an animal control officer with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

The dog’s owner, Robert L. Darakjy, has appealed the impoundment and destruction order to commissioners, who will consider his case on Monday.

“I want to keep my dog from getting executed,” said the 73-year-old Darakjy.

Darakjy said German shorthaired pointers are “bred to hunt and kill” but they bond with their masters and seek companionship and exercise.

A disabled veteran, Darakjy said Ranger acts as his service dog, though the pet is not certified. Darakjy said his objective would be to keep him from getting loose again if commissioners grant the reprieve.

“I just want my dog back,” he said.

Osburn said that in her 10 years as an animal control officer with the county, a dangerous pet case has not escalated to this point.

Under county ordinance, several requirements must be followed to save an animal that has been officially deemed dangerous.

These include keeping the pet confined in an acceptable kennel — not a fenced yard — when outside. If taken out in public, they must be on an approved leash and muzzled at all times. The pet’s owner must also post signage to let people know their animal is considered dangerous.

Osburn said that after Ranger was initially declared dangerous, it escaped and it is apparent those restrictions were not followed.

“We know that at least some of these things were not done because within a few weeks after he was declared dangerous, he was found running at large and had to be impounded,” she said.

Commission Chairman Chris Fillios declined comment.