TOWN OF NIAGARA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Niagara County woman is pushing for change in her community after she said her dog was attacked.
The incident happened in the Town of Niagara Wednesday night.
Kerry Maselli said a dog attacked her dog and the injuries were so severe, that her dog had to be put down.
I have since learned that authorities are now investigating this as a "dangerous dog case."
After talking with Maselli, I looked into what kind of leash laws exist in her community and around the state.
"My son would walk him every day. He was a very happy dog. He will be missed but I will remember all the good times," Maselli said about her rat terrier named "Finn O'Reilly Owens."
Maselli told me she was home when she got the call from her son who was walking Finn.
"The dog grabbed my dog out of my son's arms and was taking my dog like a rag doll back and forth. I showed up and saw what happened and brought my dog to the emergency vet," Maselli explained.
According to Masseli, the doctor said Finn was too injured and had to be put down.
"Punctured lung. His ribs were cracked, bleeding inside and out," Maselli shared. "My dog just had too many injuries to it and I had to put my dog down, the doctor said."
Niagara County SPCA lead investigator Officer Joshua Stefanski said the other dog has minor bite wounds and is currently at home.
"They were doing renovations. The dog had gotten out, unbeknownst to them," said officer Stefanski. "He wound up going down the road someway. The second party was out walking their dog. They had seen the other dog coming towards them. Before anyone could break it up, the dogfight had already started."
New York State does not have a state-wide "leash law" but localities like the Town of Niagara do.
The Town of Niagara's animal ordinance in Chapter 109 mentions no animal should be "running at large" off the owner's property except for legal hunting or legal training.
"If the dog is declared dangerous, there's a potential that the homeowner will have to carry a rider for insurance that would make them have additional coverage in the event something like this were to happen again in the future," Niagara County SPCA executive director Amy Lewis said. "It's a tragic and completely avoidable situation. Owners have the right to walk their dog as long as they're doing so responsibly. Everyone else who's got dogs, it's their responsibility to make sure their dogs are not menacing."
Maselli said this happens far too often in her neighborhood.
"I don't think the dog should be staying here. What if it was a child?" Maselli said. "Something just needs to be done."
