By Jorge Casuso

April 16, 2025 -- Santa Monica police have identified the owner of the dog that killed a toy poodle near Main Street on Friday but did not release the man's name.

The City Attorney will evaluate whether any municipal or criminal violations apply based on the facts presented, according to an SMPD post on its social media channels Wednesday.

The Police Department has been flooded with calls asking when the owner would be identified and arrested following widespread media accounts of the pit bull killing the poodle near Main and Strand streets Friday evening, officials said.

"We understand the deep concern and sadness following the recent dog attack in our community," the social media post said.

However, officials added that "we want to be transparent in acknowledging that, under current law, many dog-on-dog attacks and related violations fall under civil or misdemeanor-level offenses."

The offenses "include violations of leash laws, failure to control a dangerous animal, or failure to provide information following a dog bite," the post said.

SMPD officials have said the case was being handled by the Animal Control Unit and asked those with animal safety concerns or reporting an incident to call (310) 458-8595.

According to SMPD's latest crime update on its blog "The Blue Notebook" for the period from March 30 to April 6, Animal Control issued 41 warnings and 9 citations.

During the eight-day stretch, five dogs and two cats were impounded and six calls were received regarding noisy animals.

Among the notable incidents cited in the blog was the response to a call on April 3 reporting an unattended dog inside a vehicle parked in a subterranean garage.

"Per the reporting party the dog had been inside the vehicle for days," the blog said. Animal Control Officers "observed a black and tan adult doberman acting lethargic and being unresponsive."

Officers "also did not see any water provided for the dog inside the vehicle. Based on what the ACOs observed, the dog was removed from the vehicle."

The dog was transported to Santa Monica Veterinary Group for a medical evaluation and was "cleared with no injuries to go back to the animal shelter for impound."

"The Santa Monica Police Department and our Animal Services Unit appreciates the active role our community plays in the safety and well-being of all our residents and their pets," Wednesday's blog post stated.