Ron Artest agrees To adoption of his Great Dane

Placer County Animal Services announced today that Ron Artest has agreed to allow his dog Socks to be adopted by a new owner, deciding for a variety of reasons that he wants the dog to go to a new home.

As part of an administrative process related to Animal Control’s seizure of a dog, a hearing was to occur to determine the circumstances under which Socks be returned to Mr. Artest.  Prior to that hearing, Mr. Artest made the decision to allow another family to adopt Socks.  Animal Services was notified of his decision, and as a result, the administrative hearing was not needed.  Subsequently, an agreement was developed to formally end the process.

Placer County Animal Services Director Michael Winters interviewed the new owner using existing county criteria and policies, and determined they will give Socks an excellent home.

The dog was originally seized on Feb. 5 after which it remained in County custody at a local veterinary hospital.  On March 7, the dog was released to Mr. Artest’s attorney, Shannon Baker, who assumed responsibility for the dog under a legal agreement with Placer County Animal Services that assured the dog would be well cared for and would not be returned to Mr. Artest. 

Placer County Animal Services had also completed its investigation of the incident and forwarded the information to the Placer County District Attorney for review.