County officials are waiting for a signed judge’s order to euthanize three of four pitbulls involved in a Downtown Auburn attack.

On Thursday, Mike Winters, program manager for Placer County Animal Services, said that he anticipates the three dogs – Ronin, Sherman and Maui – will be put to sleep by the end of next week.

The three pitbulls and a fourth named Otis together attacked, unprovoked, then-17-year-old Weimar resident Joseph “JoJo” Kerschner in a parking lot located off Lincoln Way in Auburn.

The Sept. 16 incident left Kerschner with severe injuries and the teen said he has scars today.

On Jan. 29, Placer County Judge Richard Couzens ruled in an appeal hearing that all four dogs are “vicious.”

He said that the three believed to be the most involved and aggressive in the attack needed to be euthanized.

However, he agreed to release the fourth dog, which was not seen biting Kerschner.

The dog, Otis, will be turned over to reality television star and pitbull expert Tia Maria Torres. Torres’ Torres’ Villalobos Rescue Center in Southern California is the subject of the Animal Planet cable TV series “Pitbulls and Parolees.”

Couzens gave strict orders in the courtroom Friday that only Torres will be able to house the dog.

The owner of the four pitbulls, Daniel Coverston, will be allowed a final goodbye but nothing beyond that, Couzens said.

Winters said that as of Thursday afternoon, he had not heard from Torres about when she will come to Auburn to pick up Otis.

Winters added that Coverston had not yet called to set up a time when he would see his dogs for the last time.

Couzens set a deadline for the end of next week.

“We’re waiting on a signed order,” Winters said. “I don’t think it’s been signed by all parties yet.”

Auburn Police Capt. John Ruffcorn said his department consulted with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office in regards to any potential criminal charges.

He said investigators do not suspect the attack was done with intent on behalf of Coverston, who was out of town when the incident occurred. No charges will be filed regarding the dog attack, Ruffcorn said.

However, whether or not Coverston will be charged for allegedly making a $10,000 bribe to Winters is unknown.

Placer Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case, Ruffcorn said.

A producer from Discovery Production said he did not know whether or not “Pitbulls and Parolees” will feature Otis.

Winters said Thursday he does not believe the county will allow Torres to film the pickup of Otis on its facility.

“That’s not something the county is going to allow,” Winters said. “The adverse publicity around this whole case is something we’re trying to avoid.”

Auburn city officials agreed that they want to mitigate any more press regarding the pitbull attack.

“We asked that the dogs wouldn’t be filmed in the first place, but now it’s really out of our realm,” Ruffcorn said. “We don’t want to give any more publicity to this case than what’s already been sensationalized and publicized.”

Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com.