DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Montgomery County may have to release some confiscated pit bull dogs to their owners, according to Amy Wiedeman, director of administrative services.

No official orders have been filed, but Wiedeman said comments made by County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Froelich in court on Thursday indicate he may order some of the pit bulls released.

Froelich is hearing a case involving felony dog fighting charges against Eric Lewis, 45, and Ennis P. Lungs, 41, both of Dayton. The two were charged after Dayton police raided a home and van on Boltin Street in October and confiscated 39 pit bulls.

On Thursday, Froelich granted a continuation on the defendants motion to suppress evidence in the case.

His bailiff, Lois Tipton, said he would file a written decision on the case but declined to say when it would occur or what the ruling would be.

The county's Animal Resource Center is holding 59 pit bull dogs confiscated last year by Dayton police in dog fighting investigations that led to charges against five men.

There had been 72 dogs but in January county officials euthanized a a dozen — four from the Boltin Avenue raid — that were deemed too dangerous for employees to handle. One other pit bull has since been euthanized because of illness, said Center Director Mark Kumpf. As of January the county had spent about $60,000 housing the dogs as the cases against the five men make their way through court.

No pit bulls can be released for adoption because state law defines them as "vicious" and county policy prohibits adoption of dogs with that classification, Kumpf said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7455 or lhulsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.