By Gus Saltonstall
A violent dog attack took place Saturday on the Upper West Side.
Penny the chihuahua was walking on Saturday evening with her co-owner on Columbus Avenue at West 85th Street, when she was attacked by two pit bulls, according to one of her two co-owners, Lauren Claus, multiple eyewitnesses, video evidence, and the police.
“Penny passed them on the side of the sidewalk, and one of the dogs lunged at her,” Claus, an Upper West Sider, told West Side Rag. “The owner sort of grabbed his dog back when he did that, and in that moment, the brown female dog on a different lead [leash] lunged at my dog, and the person holding that dog dropped the lead and ran away, so that dog had full free rein to attack my dog.”
Claus’s ex-boyfriend, who was walking Penny at the time, was — along with nearby good Samaritans — eventually able to wrestle the 10-year-old service dog out of the jaws of one of the pit bulls.
The two people with the dogs that attacked Penny then got into a car and left the scene, Claus and multiple eyewitnesses told the Rag.
Penny’s owner rushed her to a hospital for immediate surgery.
“She’s doing much better,” Claus told the Rag about Penny. “They’re saying it’s a miracle. They’re saying she was really lucky. There were so many people there to help and take care of her, and get her away from the violent dogs.”
“She is still recovering in the ICU, she has injuries that took over two hours of surgery,” Claus added. “She is very badly bruised and on a lot of pain meds.”
When Claus reached out to the police about what had happened, NYPD informed her that dogs are considered property within the city’s legal system, so when a dog attacks another dog, it becomes a civil issue, and thus not something that police handle.
NYPD confirmed to West Side Rag the “vicious animal” attack on Saturday and stated that at least one woman was also bitten by the two dogs, and that an “unknown individual” pushed a man who tried to help the situation.
City Councilmember Gale Brewer, who let local residents know she was looking into the matter on Sunday, confirmed the same issue about turning to the police in the hopes of holding the pit bull owners accountable.
Brewer also mentioned that she believes the same two dogs fatally attacked a different dog earlier this year in Central Park.
When asked what Claus would say to the owners of the attacking dogs if she got the chance, she struggled to find the words.
“I don’t think I could say anything rational right now. I am incensed,” Claus told the Rag. “If they didn’t care in that moment, I don’t think anything I could say would make them care now.
“The police won’t do anything, because it’s a civil matter,” she continued. “There is nothing in the law that we can fall back on. Nothing to hold these people accountable. We are trying to get the dogs off the streets, but we’re not sure if that’s going to work.”
Claus created a petition titled “Hold Pit Bull Owner Accountable for Dog Attack” in the hopes of imploring local authorities to take action against the dog owners and possibly look into new laws that would include dog attacks within it.
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So sad – I feel horrible for the owner and Penny. There should be a penalty for the owner(s) of these dogs. I wish someone had gotten a license plate.
And of course if someone had done something to their dogs they would have been complaining, even though the dogs had it coming to them.
Bravo to those who helped. I would not have been so brave.
I know that most pit bulls allegedly aren’t dangerous, but too many of them are. Someone should be required to sign some sort of a waiver in order to own one.
In the past few days I saw someone with a muzzle on their dog. My initial thought was why would someone want to own a dog where this is necessary, but perhaps the personality of a dog changes over time. Regardless, I appreciate that at least this dog owner was considerate enough to recognize a potential issue and take steps to minimize the chance of potential problems. I wish more people were this thoughtful.
Pit Bulls are no more dangerous than any dog. Irresponsible dog owners of any breed, large or small, are the problem.
Paul – As a dog owner, I agree with you that the heart of the problem lies with the owners. However, I think it is disingenuous to say that pit bulls (and other breeds) aren’t any more dangerous than other dogs.
Those Golden Labrador Retrievers are killers.
Beagles are deadly from what I’ve heard.
Paul – You are
False information!
See Everybody Tomorrow!!!
UWS Emergency Neighborhood meeting ‼️
WEDNESDAY (TOMORROW) TOWN HALL MEETING 4PM
OUR CHILDREN AND PETS
DESERVE SAFE STREETS
MEET WITH COUNCILMEMBER
GALE BREWER
TO HOLD THE DOGS’ OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE!
Wednesday, May 7th at 4pm
Goddard Community Center (593 Columbus Ave)
#JusticeForPenny
Thank you Billy I will pass the word around. I’ll see you there..
If the dog attacks ONE time, then it needs to be put down. That breed needs to be banned in large cities.
Why stop with the dog?
STOP banning breeds! There are no “bad” breeds – that’s nonsense. It’s the owners that are bad. Penalize the owners!!!!!
Thanks so much for this point, Paul. My family and I walk our dog in Central Park at least three times a day, and around the neighborhood. The most aggressive dog we’ve encountered has been a brown standard poodle in the lower 90s, who has bitten our dog without provocation and drawn blood while the owner looked on without reaction.
I’m feel terribly for poor Penny, but hope this doesn’t degenerate into another flame war about how awful pit bulls supposedly are. Irresponsible owners are the problem, not whatever breed we decide to vilify at any given time (be they German shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, pit bulls, or anything else).
I so appreciate the voices of reason on this thread. You are fine neighbors.
You are completely wrong Dog Parent. Pit bulls, like the progeny of racehorses bred for one purpose, are often (not always) unstable, and to assume they’re not is risking your life and (your child’s and your dog’s) limb(s). Poodles can bite and be vicious, and – surprise- chihuahuas can bite and be vicious too! That fact has nothing to do with the pit bull breed which is a risky bet and OFTEN dangerous.
This is false. Pit bulls have been bred to be fighting dogs and many are dog-aggressive. I once believed that it’s “all in how you raise them” so I got one and raised it gently. She turned out to be a sweetheart and I thought is was all my doing. Little did I know, I was just lucky. My sister followed my lead and her pit bull was berserk around other dogs including mine.
.
I refer you to Alex’s thoughtful post, below.
Muzzles are more and more commonly being used to prevent scavenging (like eating chicken bones from the street.) They’re a really useful tool for dogs who could injure themselves by what they eat (some even eat rocks and other inedible.) This might even be more common than for aggressive dogs because unfortunately those who want to own aggressive dogs are not usually so responsible.
Someone did get a license plate & the car has thousands of dollars in unpaid tickets. His name, or perhaps his alias, has also been widely shared online.
Let me know what the license plate number and location. I work for D.O.T.
I’ll have his vehicle towed first thing in the morning or put on the Barnacle Windshield Boot.
Please show the information here.
They’ve identified the owner of the pitbulls. A license plate was gotten, it was in one of the videos. I’m hopeful that Penny will get justice with how the community has rallied around her
You get what you vote and protest for. The chickens have come home to roost in NYC.
The point might be the following:
Not having leadership enforcing quality of life crimes, leads to a general sense of lawlesness.
This will manifest itself in multiple examples of anti-social behavior as there is a feeling of anything goes.
I am encouraged by the outpouring of support for the victim,
But, Perer’s point does have some validity and should certainly be food for thought.
I completely agree. Lawlessness is the result of our current leadership. The incident is the result of this lawlessness. Look at the owners – they knew nothing would happen to them, hence their behavior.
Correct.
I am hopeful for consequences, but doubtful.
What in the world are the 20+ people that liked this comment liking?
People who don’t like when quality of life crimes are completely ignored that eventually leads to horrible incidents like this.
I can’t understand why it isn’t clear to some.
Apparently only Democrats own dogs.
Sick !
I’m pretty sure I didn’t see anything about allowing violent dogs in the neighborhood on the last ballot.
Huh?
This comment is so stupid and lazy it makes my head hurt.
Think harder, you might eventually get it.
This guy is not a chicken, far from it, he is a pig.
The dog bit a woman? They need to be arrested. Everybody needs to stop being so cowardly and rebuke all the degeneracy going on!
NYC police are inept, lazy and nowhere to be seen until its much too late. They are on their phones, in their cars, all day long until they get a call. When they get a call, they rope things off, do some talking and file reports, and then go back on their phones. They do not deter crime at all nor do they solve crime.
212 recruit join up maybe you could make a difference. You seem to have a lot of great ideas.
Personally, I myself am much too old to join. But as for ideas, yes, vote republican.
Pitbull’s bit the wrong dog
Mr. C‼️🫵
I’m sure you were one of those people that was unhappy when the NYPD was active and aggressive a decade ago. Congratulations, you now have the law enforcement you wanted- unsupported, passive and waiting for their shift (and career) to end.
Blue potted plants.
Police are neither stupid nor lazy. They are limited by how NYC prosecutors and laws are voted on, with an eye on protecting criminal’s rights. Why would a cop put himself in danger or waste time if there’s precedent for the outcome. Amazing there are 35 thumbs up for this perspective.
Talk about a generalization. In 2023, NYPD “cleared” (meaning a suspect was identified, arrested and charged) 76.3% of murder cases, 78.5% of Felony assault cases, 56.2% of robbery cases and 44.8% of rape cases, but please continue to tell us how they are inept and lazy and don’t solve crime.
Do we have any data on how often the right person was charged, as opposed to charging some who happened to be in the area and whose skin was the right color?
And not a single crime deterred unfortunately. And also, you might think that those cleared numbers (if accurate) are impressive, but they aren’t to me. More than half the rapes there nobody is charged for? And in a city with cameras everywhere and somewhat land-locked over a rather small geographic area, nobody is ever charged in 1/4 of murder cases? Those are not numbers to brag about imo.
Not a single one is deterred? I imagine a week-long medical leave by the NYPD would sorely test that theory of yours.
You are right that no crime was deterred. Unfortunately (and my opinion) uniformed police officers can do very little to deter certain crimes. Sure, if you were planning to rob a bank and a police car was out front, you’d move along but maybe you move along to the next bank with no police car in front. Unless we have police on every corner or cameras on every corner, I don’t know how you can deter all crime from happening and, there are people who are for that and people who are against that. I will say (and again, my opinion), perhaps more crime would be deterred if more undercover units were on the street removing guns, etc. Again though, we’ve seen how that too can cross a line.
Do I like the fact that more than half of the rapes committed in 2023 led to no charges or that roughly a quarter of murders and felony assaults end up with no arrests? Absolutely not. I can’t imagine the feeling a victim or family member must have when no arrests are made and no justice is served. But, I am also a realist and cannot envision a city where 100% of all crimes are solved. I’ll take the positives where I can.
I don’t think it is fair to lay all of this at the feet of the NYPD. But some of your points are valid. They shouldn’t be buried in their phones or hiding in their cars. I think we need to look deeper at the problem — respect (or lack thereof) of police officers, a City Council that wants to decriminalize just about everything, a state legislature that wants to do the same, bail reform laws that should be revisited and district attorneys that are willing to not-prosecute or agree to plea deals for lesser charges.
https://nypdrecruit.com/
Thank you for your service!
The person’s got a valid point though. Does that make you feel better to deflect and turn a blind eye to the obvious?
Which valid point is this? More war on the Police? See where that got you.
They do have a point and it’s only part of the picture. When we have a city council (and state legislature) that wants to decriminalize most quality of life crimes, is unwilling to listen to legitimate problems with bail reforms, district attorneys that are willing to bring lower charges against repeat offenders (or no charges at all) and a general populace that has so little respect for police and the rule of law, what do we really expect police officers to do?
This may be harder to pass than we think. Dogs are defined as “chattel” in US law, which is why any dog food or toy product made outside the US can contain poisons, toxins, heavy metals, and other deleterious additives. Changing their classification will likely result in the outlawing of all dog food and toy products made outside the US, which is far too problematic for the US economy.
Pet food / animal feed made inside the US may contain toxins, heavy metals, unpleasant food industry byproducts, etc… as well. Regulation of animal feed is quite loose. Giving dogs legal status beyond chattel does not necessarily (1) mean dogs would have personhood protection (unlike companies) or (2) have any bearing on how the animal feed industry is regulated. I don’t think it’s a far reach to discuss categories of protection that are short of personhood, but more than chattel.
Why does she think there’s no legal recourse here.? There is plenty. Dog owners are legally responsible for the actions for their dogs. Someone is giving her very bad legal advice.
The owner CAN be charged criminally, depending on the specifics. In this case, I’m guessing that both civil and criminal charges could be filed, since the owner of the dog that was attacked can prove injury, including vet bills, etc. And if the vet is called as a witness, that’s all she wrote for the pit bull owners.
True !
Every state has a limit, but all depends on the case. Depending on this case, the owner is definitely looking at a very high fine but even possible jail term may be involved because how many times this has happened to the same dogs and owner.
Most definitely these dogs will be euthanized.
For example.
How many times has “Judge Judy” had cases in front of her and has granted lawsuits that I remember her awarding
$25,000 + depending on the owner/dog lawsuit.
I don’t think because of TV she ever had any dog euthanized.
In New York State, you have one chance, and the dog has to be muzzled. The second time the dog has to be either euthanized or moved to another state.
Judge Judy is a civil judge.
I believe the point is it’s not criminal if it’s between two animals, only civil.
She said there’s nothing to hold the owners accountable. That’s factually incorrect. If that’s what she believes then she needs better legal advice.
But the dogs bit one of the bystanders and the owners assaulted one as well
There is video from another angle clearly showing one of the pitbull owners dragging and pulling the hair of one of the individuals who was trying to intervene in the dog attack. Doesn’t that escalate this to a criminal matter?
Here is the video (be forewarned, it’s disturbing): https://www.reddit.com/r/Upperwestside/comments/1kfjpgo/tw_graphic_content/
That’s a flat-out assault. Arrest him!!
This is devastating and could have resulted in an even more tragic ending. Legally I know there is little recourse, however I would suggest the following: seizure and likely euthanasia of both dogs by the ACC; significant fines for the owners, a pet ownership responsibility class and a five-year ban on owning a dog (with home visits every 6 months to ensure compliance). I would rather my tax dollars go towards this than the many of the other useless initiatives the city has been taking my money for.
The other glaring issue that no one wants to address is about the pit bull breed. Since the mid 1980s, appellate federal and state courts across the United States have affirmed the unique dangerousness of the pit bull breed. Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982. Pit bulls are inherently dangerous no matter how they’re treated, because violence is in their DNA. “Why do herding dogs herd? Why do pointing dogs point? They don’t learn that behavior, that’s selective behavior.” Even PETA, the largest animal-rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific sterilization for pit bulls. “Pit bulls are a breed-specific problem, so it seems reasonable to target them,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA’s senior vice president of cruelty investigations. “The public is misled to believe that pit bulls are like any other dog. And they just aren’t.” Even the ASPCA acknowledges on its website that pit bulls are genetically different than other dogs. “Pit bulls have been bred to behave differently during a fight,” it says. “They may not give warning before becoming aggressive, and they’re less likely to back down when clashing with an opponent.”
Sorry, but no. “There is no scientific evidence to support the idea that any specific breed of dog is inherently more dangerous than another. Individual dog behavior is shaped by a variety of factors, including their genetics, upbringing, and interactions with their environment. The perception that pit bulls are more dangerous is often based on stereotypes and media portrayals rather than scientific evidence. Training, socialization, and owner interactions play a crucial role in shaping a dog’s behavior, regardless of the breed.” (The sources here include the ASPCA, the Humane Society, and three law firms.)
This is absurd. The statistics speak for themselves and VERY clearly. It doesn’t matter WHY pitbulls are fantastically overrepresented statistically, it just matters that they are. Who cares why. I bet if I had a pitbull and corgi and told you that one was going to attack you and you had a choice of which one to pick, you’d pick the corgi, despite there being “no scientific evidence” that either is more dangerous. Completely false.
And race horses are same as other horses.
Incarcerate the males (yes, pretty much men) who train dogs to be vicious. Confiscate and if possible, though unlikely, rehabilitate the dogs; otherwise they must be removed/dispatched, unfortunately.
While it is not hard to find this opinion online, this comment is incorrect and damaging. Here are some of the mistakes here:
1) there is no “pit bull” breed. There are several breeds (Staffordshire bull terrier, American pit bull terrier, and others) which are not identical and that are identified as “pit bulls.” Research has shown that people are extremely bad at identifying whether a dog, especially mixed, is one of these “bully” breeds (for instance: shelter works are vets: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331500310X).
2) We are not sure that the dogs in question are of any of the so-called “pit bull” breeds. Note that people usually identify the breed by look: “a catch-all term for any dog of medium size with a blocky head and a short, smooth coat,” as author Bronwyn Dickey put it in her history called “Pit Bull.” While these dogs look bully-like, it is wildly inappropriate to thus malign all dogs who look this way.
3) It is not the case that any dog is “inherently dangerous.” You are mistaken that all herding dogs herd, and that pointing dogs point. This is simplistic. If anything, bully breeds have been bred to be loyal companions. They used to be used as nanny dogs, left in charge of children.
Any time a dog bites and holds onto another animal, or a person, it can be devastating. It is not inevitable because they are dogs, or because they are (maybe) bully breeds. If you look at the owners’ behavior during this incident, I think you get a better sense of where this came from: the owners are completely non-responsive, maybe except actually interfering with removing their dog’s jaws from the small dog named Penny. Dogs can be encouraged or allowed to pursue prey, and it is up to owners to know their dogs. Large dogs may be more powerful than small dogs. Owners’ negligence to these simple issues is what caused this horrible event.
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative response. So many wonderful dogs can’t find homes because they are unfairly maligned because of their breed or appearance.
The owners sound very vicious and sociopathic themselves. Get them off the street immediately.
People are so oblivious to their own dogs and it’s not just pitbulls. I’ve been snapped at buy far more little yappy rat dogs than big dogs. I’m very sorry this happened and hope people just pay a bit more attention in general.
Yappy rat dogs are unlikely to take off your arm. They are incredibly annoying, as are their owners who don’t train them, but they won’t kill you.
Very good points, but I’ll add that even if Pitbulls were not any more dangerous than other dogs, the simple fact is that they do not respond to human behavior when they begin attacking. They will not let go no matter if they are sprayed with hoses, hit with pipes, screamed at, etc. NOTHING stops them short of seriously injuring them or killing them. They just do not let go. And that aspect was certainly bred into that dog. Look at it’s jaws. These dogs were bred to latch on and never let go. For that reason alone, they need to be outlawed.
This isn’t unique to bully breeds, clamping is a dog trait period. I was attacked by my neighbor’s saint bernard (a dog I had known and interacted with prior) as a child and it clamped onto my leg and wouldn’t let go, it took six adults to pry him off. The given reason for his attack was his brain got screwed up by “pure bred” inbreeding.
But we don’t try to legislate them out of existence.
This times 100! Also, if a different dog breed snaps at you it doesn’t have the jaw torque power that a pitbull does — they have a bite force of around 235 pounds per square inch (PSI), which is absolutely insane (few breeds come close to this and a few surpass it). I agree completely these dogs should be sterilized and outlawed; the breeding must be discontinued.
Plus, they’re just so damn ugly!
Really mixed feelings on this one.
On the one hand, I feel terrible for Penny and her owner.
On the other hand, I have fostered 3 “dog reactive” pit.bulls and adopted one of them. I was super super careful with all of them. The one I adopted did, after several years, come around. Of course I still never let her off leash in a dog run and was careful around other dogs. And she was a wonderful pet, beloved by all neighbors and my family.
I wish Penny a speedy recovery.
At this stage, with the dogs having killed at least once, and coming close to doing it again, I am not convinced another chance for these dogs would be appropriate. The owners are at fault, but if a dog is at this stage of aggression, I think they have to be put to sleep. And the owners should be punished for both the damage the dogs have done, and for killing their own dogs.
Whether its people or dogs, UWS is losing its way.
Hope something’s done before a toddler or child is killed—poor Penny must have been terrified and is lucky to be alive—hope the owner gets justice and Penny recovers fully and quickly
This is not a civil matter. If you watch the other video you can clearly see the dog owner drag another man, who is attempting to get the pit bull off Penny, by the hair. That’s assault. The guy has already been identified, so hey NYPD, this is pretty easy! You can go to his address, arrest the man for assault, bring animal control to deal with the dogs, which (and I say this as a dog lover) should 100% be euthanized, and have this closed today. Not hard to just do your jobs and keep the community safe.
It is not just a civil matter – that just is not true. These dogs are threatening the safety of humans – and even if you view dogs as property, it is a crime to destroy another person’s property.
Here’s a link to a Google Doc that asks UWSers to help identify the owners through two fairly good screen captures of their faces.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVaIjYsDyWMsEkfUZIuCJevK_saQcXe9w47AloWkaU15Jm0w/viewform
It looks like the same two dogs and the same owner of those dogs who have had problems in the past with attacking other dogs. One recent incident was in Central Park. I believe they live in the West 80’s. Penny is so lucky to be alive, but next time the next victim might not be so lucky. Something has to be done about these animals and their owner. He doesn’t seem to care about any of it. To just walk off like that is infuriating. That guy needs to be “taken care of” in some form or another.
Much love to Penny and her human family. That little girl is a survivor. 💖
There are so many irresponsible dog owners and they absolutely should be held accountable. There is one guardian who also has two untrained, large dogs on West 79th that pull and lunge at every single dog. It’s terrifying to see him try to keep his grip on the one leash holding them both and I’m not sure what horrible event their guardian is waiting for before he realizes he isn’t doing those dogs any favors. They can get only limited exercise and he clearly doesn’t have the expertise to train them. Obviously, he doesn’t care about anyone else on the block or their pets.
Or he is afraid that the only alternative is to kill one or both of his dogs – which it may be if he doesn’t have a lot of money to pay for help. It doesn’t excuse him, but I do understand his situation. I had two big dogs who were reactive and it cost me a freaking fortune to get the help I needed – which I did, and they became well behaved and we learned to manage them (eg I never walked them together, unless I had a strong person to help me (they were not pit bulls and I could hold one, just not two)). But I was frequently very grateful that I could obtain the help I needed; if I couldn’t have, I would probably have had to kill one or the other, and I did love them – and I also knew it was my fault that they were not given the early training they needed, so it would have been my fault that they died.
Again, doesn’t change the fact that it has to be dealt with – but it may come from a good place, and misplaced hope, not a lack of caring. I hope he gets the message before something happens.
Here’s one cheap, simple solution mentioned above – muzzle the dogs when they are out. That way they can do a lot less harm. And I don’t think this is torture for the dogs.
Some people with aggressive dogs don’t look for solutions. They use their dogs as means of intimidation. It is definitely the case in this specific example. The owners looked and acted antisocially.
That is a good suggestion. I don’t think it would actually have stopped the problem with my dogs, though. There are many reactive dogs on the UWS. When mine got started at another dog, the other dog inevitably responded in kind. And they can do a lot of damage to each other and to their humans even with muzzles on. It helps – but doesn’t stop the carnage.
I do know a lot (now) about how to give your dogs the upbringing that should reduce the likelihood of the issue arising, and about what to do if it does – but again, I got a lot of help. And I was terrified, at one point, that my dogs were not going to respond well to the training. Thankfully, we did get to a workable point.
That isn’t the only alternative. Crowded NYC streets just aren’t the right place for a young man with two untrained, large dogs he has trouble handling
The young man is 40 years old.
What is the other alternative?
This was your solution – to kill one of your dogs?! Because you couldn’t handle them? What kind of Sophie’s freaking choice is that? I can’t believe someone would even consider it especially claiming they loved the dogs. Dogs are not accessories, they are a huge responsibility and you managed to get not just one but two and then was considering to kill one? I’m speechless.
But one point you made is spot on – it WAS incredibly stupid of me to get two dogs (littermates, no less). I grew up with big dogs and thought I knew what I was doing. By the time I knew we had a real problem, it was too late to just return one or both to the rescue, and I loved them and “rehoming” them would have been hard on them – and no one would have taken them in the city. Finding someone outside the city would have been very difficult too (though that would have been my next recourse if we hadn’t been able to get the help I needed). Once a dog is showing behavioral issues, it is very, very hard to find them a home. Especially in a country that kills 2 million plus companion animals a year because they don’t have homes.
But I tell everyone I know – get one dog at a time and make sure they are well trained and well adapted before considering getting a second. Even if you think you know dogs.
Um, Flo – you might want to read again. That is pretty much the opposite of what I said (and did). But if you don’t have money and you do have a large, reactive dog, that may be your only choice. There are few resources available for large reactive dogs. The only behavioral specialist vet in the city just closed down and even when they existed, I couldn’t get an appointment. I was exceedingly grateful that I could access other resources – including the extraordinary Amanda Gagnon – and manage my dogs. But it cost so much money that a lot of people couldn’t do that. Where do they go? They end up at the ACC, which cannot responsibly adopt them out to families – so they either languish or die.
That is exactly why I said this owner may be facing a terrible choice.
Please apply your outrage where it belongs.
Something doesn’t quite compute.
The article states that the pit bulls’ owners put their dogs in a car and drove away, the implication being that they escaped to parts unknown.
Yet Gale Brewer states that she spoke with residents of the building where the dogs and their owner live. So they are known to the authorities.
If the police are unwilling or unable to relieve the neighborhood of these vicious dogs, can’t the Animal Control Center act? I find it a bit difficult to believe they were unavailable because the assault occurred on a weekend.
Send those pitbulls to El Salvador!
They deserve due process?
Good point 😉
How is it not a criminal matter when a person was bitten and you have repeat behavior? You also have one of them destroying a phone? Seems like lazy police work
It is a criminal matter.
Pit Bulls should be banned from NYC.
How do we connect to continue Go Fund me for Penny the dog.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-penny-recover-from-brutal-dog-attack?lid=8u1qebnuf4ea&utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=t_email-campaign-update&
Everyone keeps saying it is a civil matter under law. Gale Brewer is a lawmaker and can change that for future incidents. Why is that not being proposed since Ms. Brewer is so worked up about the situation? Isn’t that the purpose/job of a city councilperson?
I don’t know what to say – it is terrifying, outrageous and unfair. And I’m referring to the dogs only, mostly to their owners.
Unfortunately if the same dogs attacked another dog in the past, fatally in that case, it is unlikely that the owners will be held responsible. You can tell from the video the owners exhibited totally antisocial behavior, they know nothing will be done. Even for pulling someone’s hair – we had cases when Bragg let truly vicious assaults slide
If there’s a petition re changing the law, I would love to sign it.
Pitbulls must be banned from all urban residence town and cities They are the most aggressive dogs on this planet. They are bred to fight and kill. They should be banned from cities.. These owners must accept 100% responsibility of any endangerment by these aggressive animals.
While this attack is unfortunate and the owners of the pit bulls must be held accountable, what this has shown me is that the UWS and leadership in this community, sees dogs as more worthy of respect and dignity than Muslims in this community. Muslims who are discriminated against in this community even though they did nothing Antisemtic. This is my take on all this.
That’s your take on everything.
By all eye witness accounts, the pit owners allowed this to happen when the initial attack occurred, with the woman dropping the leash and the guy bringing the other dog in on it. THIS. This should terrify us all as neighbors and fellow dog owners because these sickos have ill intent and have weaponized their dogs. Something is not right here. Look at the way they walk around in the surveillance camera right before it occurred. Those dogs were on edge and looking for something to lunge at. So, even if you see them in the street, you have to fear they’ll just drop the leash again. What a disgusting coward this man is!!!!!!!!! This wasn’t an accidental dog fight, these two pitbulls were previously let off leash in Central Park and killed another dog. Can you imagine coming face to face with those dogs off leash???? Let’s mobilize and get something done before another dog or child is hurt. And props to the hero who jumped in and tackled the dog, I wish he would come forward.
All of this. None of us are safe with this terrors roaming around freely in our neighborhood.
You can set your watch to it, a story about a Jazz Legend gets 7 comments, little Penny garners 41 (so far). #uwspriorities.
I didn’t think the Jazz Legend was about something bad or harmful – I read it, enjoyed it, and thought it was great. What’s to comment?
But yes – whingeing about how awful UWS pet lovers are – now THAT is predictable.
I didn’t see it — was the jazz legend murdered in broad daylight on our city sidewalks?
If a Muslim was the victim of a hate crime like what happened to that vendor on the UES in 2023 and it was reported on west side rag, it would attract far less comments than this article.
PItbulls need to be outlawed in the City.
Those pit bulls should have been removed by animal control after the FIRST dog was murdered, not wait for more innocent people and animals to be attacked. That is literally their job. The owners are negligent and actually attacked a Good Samaritan for trying to help, dragging him down the street by his hair. No one in this neighborhood is safe while these irresponsible owners and killer dogs are roaming around. Our elected officials need to start protecting the people that put them info office. Enough is enough.
The dogs also bit a woman. Why can’t the police deal with that?
Sending good thoughts to both Penny’s owners and to Penny. A very tragic experience. I am so sorry this happened to you all. I will be following and supporting.
I have kids and am generally uneasy about the way that some dogs on the uws are being trained to behave in public. In riverside park around 73 street, I’ve seen a German shepherd off leash late in the evenings when walking by with my kids. I’ve also encountered multiple people loosening their leash and letting the dogs take up the entire sidewalk. Not to mention the peepee and poopy (even in the tree enclosures!) everywhere, which is not dangerous, but makes for an unpleasant experience. Always appreciative of well behaved dogs and responsible owners.
I’m not sure I understand the problem. What’s wrong with having a German shepherd off leash? I have children, as well, one still quite young. The GSs we’ve met have been absolutely gentle and delightful with her. I think it’s on the owner to know their dog and only allow a dog off leash if there is no foreseeable harm in doing so.
These 2 individuals also had their dogs off leash. We are supposed to trust them because they supposedly know their dog?
It seems that about half the dogs I see in Central Park during the day are off leash, when they’re supposed to be leashed between 9:00 and 9:00. Couldn’t the City gain money by issuing summonses to all those owners?
Good luck. People do what they want these days. Noticed the proliferation of dogs on the subway/stores?
So it’s a civil matter? If the owner of the Chihuahua had strangled one of the pitnulls with its leash, I’m sure the police would have something to say about it. Absolutely irresponsible ownership and dereliction of public protection.
Why do you think that? If the issue is that dogs are property, and the law doesn’t support criminal action, then why would it matter which dog was harmed, and how is it dereliction of duty? Talk to the legislature, not the police.
Reading these comments causes me to wish that ‘pet-passion’—responsible owners, not dogs cause bad behaviour—would spill over to its other forms, like dogs in grocery stores and dogs sitting on tables in sidewalk cafés, both of which are illegal.
As everybody knows, irresponsible owners tell store clerks that their pets are ‘service animals’. Clearly, that is rarely so.
OMG this is horrible and sickening (though I’m heartened by the number of good samaritans who jumped in to help. When I looked at the video, the owner of the pitbulls is the SAME(big) guy I have often seen walking his dogs along W83 (bet Col & CPW) and NEVER CLEANS up after them on the street – they poop everywhere (thus the smeared dog poop along the street). I also noticed how aggressive these dogs get when another dog is near and I’ve had a bad feeling that this was an accident waiting to happen. The owner seems not to give a damn, generally on his cell phone or smoking a cigar.
Total creep. No wonder the dogs are irresponsible! untrained and should not be allowed in the City.
Nothing will change.
There will be no consequences.
As I am one of the top attorneys here in Manhattan and specialize in criminal aggressive felonies, I will be in touch with the owner of the Chihuahua, free of charge to go after these irresponsible owners and file for a motion of second-degree murder charges of knowing and a bedding aggressive wild animals /terrifying a neighborhood of fear.
Good afternoon. I just posted a comment citing the relevant NY Penal Law Section regarding attacks on Service Dogs.
I remember that Mr. Saltonstall’s article said that Penny is a 10-year-old Service Dog. Therefore, I believe that NY Penal Law Section applies here.
I am not an attorney. I hope you find my post and reference to be useful. I hope this will help get Justice for Penny, as well as her owners!!
Great to hear.
Leaving the scene of a crime?
What do the two dogs look like? Height, markings, type of leash? Not all pits are trained badly like these dogs. Let us know which particular dogs to avoid.
There is video in the article.
Every time there is some awful incident, a City Could Member iintroduces a bill to address that inciden–usually resulting in lots of unintended consequencest. We have too many thousands of statues addressing problems that, in the overall scheme of things, are rare. The more laws we have, the less all laws are enforced, and there is a lack of ability on the part of the law enforcement agencies to determines how to prioritize enforcement activity.
I wish the Council would sstop doing this. If the owners can be identified, perhaps the Department of Health is the appropriate benue for addressing such issues. Dogs are licensed by the Department of Health. Can a complaint be filed with them? Can the dogs’ licesnes be revoked? If they were never licensed, can they be removed fromo the owners? Is there a possibility under the DOH regulatory scheme to assess civil fines against the dog owners? kKCan the dogs be taken away from the owners by the ASPCA under its animal cruelty jursidction? Knee-jerk laws are bad laws. We already have too many oft hose on the books. In this case, look at the laws already on the books for an appropriate strategy for addressing these incidents when they arise.
If not, then before passing a knee-jerk law, hold hearings with testimony from many perspectives, gather data as to the scope of the problem, identify possible effective remedies. If a law stil seems necessary, make it a considered, informed law, one that is likely to be enforced and be effective in reducing or eliminating the problem.
Once bad laws are passed with lots of unintended consequences, they never get repealed.
Put the pit bulls down and the two irresponsible people in jail!!!
Dog owners, especially if you have small dogs, should carry one or more of the following: Sabre Protector Dog Spray, a pepper spray that police use to fend off dog attacks; a spray bottle with heavy citronella dog spray – dogs hate the smell; a Kuntrona Pit Bull Break Stick – you jam into the dog’s mouth behind the bite then twist the dog’s jaw open to release the bite. While not generally available on the street, a hose or a bucket of cold water or a fire extinguisher will both work. At the least, get the dog off balance and if it has a leash – pull up and backwards hard which will temporarily restrict the dog’s airflow + it will release. As a last resort, if you’re brave and don’t totally value your fingers, reach in + grab hold of the dog’s adam’s apple and squeeze or grab the collar and twist hard to cut off the air. Tasers and stun guns are not generally effective because of a dog’s fur. Don’t yell and scream or punch the dog, will only exacerbate things. Don’t pull the biting dog away, it will cause more damage, better to push into the bite and force as much mass into the dog’s mouth as possible. Of course, not with a small dog, that’s if the dog is biting a person.
I am absolutely appalled by the unprovoked attack on Penny!!!
This WSR article written by Mr. Saltonstall stated that Penny is a 10-year-old SERVICE DOG.
Shouldn’t the following NY Penal Law Section 242.15 apply here?
“NY Penal Law § 242.15: Harming a service animal in the first degree
Service animals are dogs and other animals that have been specially trained to assist a person who suffers from a disability. A common type of service animal is a guide dog. Such dogs assist visually impaired people navigate obstacles. Because of the important service that service animals provide, there are specific laws created to punish those who injure service animals. Under New York Penal Law § 242.15 you could be charged with harming a service dog in the first degree if you intentionally injure or kill a service animal, and you have already been convicted of harming a service animal in the second degree as defined in New York Penal Law § 242.10. A service animal is defined as an animal that has been specially trained or is in the process of being trained by a qualified person to assist someone who has a disability.”
This means the attack was legally much more serious than a simple “property crime” of one dog biting another dog. There are many other Service Dogs working on the Upper West Side. ALL of them deserve legal protection from these types of attacks, and real and meaningful consequences towards the owners of vicious dogs!!
I hope that Penny’s owners can put this statute to good use, and that there will be JUSTICE FOR PENNY!!
Ridiculous, then everyone will act all shocked when next time it’s a child.
The two obese dog owners will be easy to find as there are hardly any upper west siders that large.
Mmmm… I’m not so sure about that:
“The prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% (1999 – 20002) to 41.9% (2017–March 2020).
During the same time, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%.”
(this from the CDC (the nation’s leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health).
Emergency meeting ‼️
WEDNESDAY (TOMORROW) TOWN HALL MEETING 4pm
OUR CHILDREN AND PETS
DESERVE SAFE STREETS
MEET WITH COUNCILMEMBER
GALE BREWER
TO HOLD THE DOGS’ OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE!
Wednesday, May 7th at 4pm
Goddard Community Center (593 Columbus Ave)
#JusticeForPenny
I hail Gail Brewer for quickly acting and is in the process of introducing a bill to make this kind of dangerous negligence a crime, punishable by criminal courts. Also, as you can imagine, Penny’s vet bills are into the thousands, so far. A Go Fund Me has already raised 20,000. Neighbors helping neighbors.
Hello Edith,
It is close to $40,000!!!
That’s why Upper West Side neighbors stick together. We appreciate and support each other’s knowledge and education in emergency manners like this. 👍
To disgustingly irresponsible, dog owners, allowing this to happen to this poor little little Chihuahua penny shame on them they should not have an animal
This Redditt thread has some good recaps of the town hall meeting from today as well as not surprising news about the owner of the attacking dogs.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Upperwestside/s/KMqctqao2m