Owner behind bars: What now for his dog?

When police went searching for a suspect in a brutal attack last month in South Park that killed one woman and left her partner wounded, they noticed an unusual accessory — a dog.

A 100-pound male pit bull was walking by suspect Isaiah Kalebu's side in surveillance video that eventually led to his arrest. The imposing brown-and-white dog was distinctive, and "helped me and some others cue us in to who he [Kalebu] was," said Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

Now, as Kalebu, 24, sits in King County Jail awaiting his next court appearance, officials at the Seattle Animal Shelter are trying to get him to surrender ownership of the dog, Indo. The dog has been at the shelter since July 24, the same day Kalebu was arrested.

A certified letter from shelter officials is expected to go out today to Kalebu and his attorneys asking him to turn the dog over to the city.

Cases in which an owner gets arrested and a pet becomes homeless as a result happen about a dozen times a year, said Don Jordan, executive director of the city-run shelter. Many times, family members step up to claim the animal, he said.

But that hasn't happened.

"There's just too much turmoil and animosity between everybody" in Kalebu's family, Troyer said. "There might not be anyone who wants a pit bull who belongs to [an alleged] murderer."

Police and prosecutors say Kalebu brutally attacked and raped Teresa Butz, 39, and her partner, a 36-year-old woman, on July 19. Butz died after being stabbed multiple times. Her partner was released from the hospital a day after the attacks.

Asking for the public's help, police released a March 2008 surveillance video of a break-in at Auburn City Hall showing Kalebu and Indo. A few days later, a Metro bus driver recognized Kalebu, who was with Indo, on his bus route, and authorities arrested Kalebu at Magnuson Park.

Mike Schwartz, Kalebu's lead attorney, said it's highly unusual for a dog to be out with a suspect at the time of arrest.

"In all my 17 years [of practicing law] I've never had this issue come up before," Schwartz said.

He added that he spoke with Kalebu about 10 days ago about the dog, but Kalebu gave no direction on what to do with him.

A records search showed that Indo was not licensed either in Pierce County or King County. Authorities consider Kalebu the owner since he was the last person with him.

In April, Kalebu — who has been described as bi-polar and off his medications — tried to command Indo to attack Kalebu's mother, but the dog didn't, according to court documents.

Shelter staff said this week that Indo, who is estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old, is a good-natured dog that "eats like a horse."

If the city gets ownership, Indo will go through a temperament test to determine if he's adoptable.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com