Marty
09-05-2006, 05:48 PM
North Andover,MA -- Heidi Roberge could do nothing to protect her Chihuahua from a muscular pit bull that jumped over her left shoulder and bit into her pooch, Guido.
Roberge and Guido were helpless against the massive dog, which crossed paths with her 31/2-pound canine on Jane Road, where she lives. All Roberge could do was watch as the life in her little dog's eyes slipped away, the pit bull shaking her Chihuahua from side to side.
"It's the worse thing I've ever seen in my entire life," Roberge said. "For the first few seconds (Guido) was looking up at me."
Young men nearby who heard the commotion tried rescuing Guido, pounding the pit bull in the face with their fists and kicking its body. Someone dumped a cup of hot coffee on the black and white pit bull's head.
The pit bull still would not relax its jaws. Roberge was screaming for help. Finally a male neighbor rammed his thumbs into the pit bull's eyes, and the vicious dog released Guido.
It was too late. The Chihuahua was dead.
The Aug. 11 attack happened near Timony Grammar School, the same neighborhood where the pit bull has had several violent run-ins with other dogs, prompting a petition from neighbors to have the dog removed. Instead, owners Christine Goldeski and her fiance, John Beckos, of 4 Hadley Road agreed with police to have the dog, named Ollie, euthanized.
"We are going to be in the neighborhood for the next 10 years at least," Goldeski said. "The thought of having our neighbors afraid of our dog was heart-wrenching to us."
As a result of this and one other attack, City Council Chairman Stephen Zanni has proposed a strict ordinance governing the ownership of pit bulls in the city. The law is modeled after similar legislation on the books in Boston and will be debated tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
Zanni's ordinance would require all pit bulls to wear muzzles if they are off their owner's premises, and be penned all other times. The penalties would be a warning for the first offense, $100 fine for the second offense, and seizure of the animal for the third offense. A seized animal may be euthanized, Zanni said.
He stopped short of a total ban on pit bulls because he wants to see if the muzzle law is effective.
"It's important that we protect our community," Zanni said. "I want people to feel safe."
A neighborhood 'fearing for our safety'
Residents living around Jane Road certainly did not feel safe. After Guido's death, frightened neighbors started a petition to have the dog removed from the area.
"This past incident was of such a violent nature, we the undersigned residents, fearing for our safety and that of the children and other pets in their neighborhood, hereby request that this dog be permanently banned from our neighborhood," the petition to police said.
The petition was signed by 31 residents, including Barbara DeCecca at 20 Jane Road. When her grandchildren would visit, she warned them about the pit bull when they played outside.
"I get nervous with a pit bull around when there are small children," DeCecca said.
Due to the petition, the Police Department held a public hearing last week to determine if the dog was dangerous. After the hearing, Goldeski agreed to have her dog killed before a decision was made by the hearing officer, police Chief Joseph Solomon said.
Ollie has since been euthanized. Goldeski and Beckos did not want the dog living with a muzzle, she said.
Goldeski's pit bull had a lengthy police record - four incidents in the past year, including the fatal attack on Guido.
In one attack in November 2005, Ollie entered a backyard on Hadley Road and attacked a dog named Lardie owned by police Sgt. Donald Lavigne. Lardie sustained lacerations to the ear and possibly the neck area, according to police reports.
In May, Ollie ran into School Committee member Gary Marcoux's backyard at 34 Hadley Road to attack his dog. Marcoux grabbed his dog and fled into his house. In another incident in June, Ollie scratched the rear door to get inside, Marcoux said.
Ollie attacked a small terrier owned by city Auditor Thomas Kelly at 7 Hadley Road in May last year. Ollie grabbed the terrier by the neck when Kelly's daughter let the smaller dog out of the house, according to police reports.
The day that Ollie killed Guido, the pit bull was on a leash being walked by a Goldeski family friend, Jennifer Bartlett, according to police reports. The Chihuahua was not on a leash.
Bartlett could not hold the pit bull back when the attack happened.
Zanni's pit bull legislation was prompted by at least one other pit bull attack. An elderly man living on Adelaide Avenue told Zanni that a pit bull tried attacking him while he was gardening, but the man ran into the house before the dog could bite him.
"I think people will feel a lot safer with this," Zanni said of the muzzle law.
The other pit bulls in Methuen
Of 637 dogs registered in Methuen, 19 are pit bulls or some mix of the breed, according to city records. They go by names like Busta, Repo, Diesel, Rage and Brandy.
Zofia Kibrzynski of 61 Brown St. owns a 9-year-old pit bull named Onyx. She said the dog is well trained and never attacks humans, though she always barks at other dogs.
"But if you don't want me to put it outside without a muzzle, that's OK with me," Kibrzynski said.
Zanni did not include other potentially aggressive dogs, such as Rottweilers or Dobermans, because there have been no reported problems with those breeds in Methuen, he said.
But Goldeski is opposed to punishing a specific breed of dog.
In her neighborhood, dog owners would routinely allow their pets to roam without leashes. According to the police report, Guido was not on a leash at the time of the killing. Goldeski said pit bulls and other breeds will defend their owners and property.
"To punish a breed of dog for a lack of responsibility of other dog owners would be awfully sad," she said.
Roberge supports the muzzle law. She cremated Guido, and his ashes are waiting at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals. She cannot bear to pick up the remains because it will be too emotional for her.
"He had the heart of a German shepherd and thought he was a Great Dane," Roberge said of her Chihuahua. "He was a great dog."
BOX 1: Muzzle that dog
City Councilor Stephen Zanni proposed a new dog ordinance aimed specifically at the pit bull breed. New law mandates:
* Pit bull must wear muzzles when it is off its owner's property
* While on the owner's land, the dog must be kept in a penned area set back a minimum of 20 feet from the front line of the property.
* First violation is a warning. Second violation is a $100 fine. Third violation, the dog will be seized for at least three days. Any animal that cannot be claimed by its owner will be sent to a shelter for disposal.
* Current city law allows the mayor to order individual dogs regardless of their breed to be muzzled for past violent acts or attacks on livestock.
BOX 2: Meet the neighborhood pit bull
Of 637 dogs registered in Methuen, 19 are pit bulls.
Name%Street where the dog lives
Diesel%Pelham Street
Jewel%Pelham Street
Pebbles%Pelham Street
Enyce%Newbury Avenue
Juelz%Chelmsford Street
Buttons%North Street
Remi%Arnold Street
Boxer%Kirk Street
Onyx%Brown Street
Bear%Clementi Lane
Repo%Oakland Avenue
Brandy%Oakland Avenue
Diesel%Jasper Street
Hailey%Jasper Street
Butch%Brown Street
Havoc%Renfrew Street
Rage%Oak Street
Harley%Oak Street
Busta%Birch Avenue
Source: City dog licenses
http://www.eagletribune.com/local/local_story_248063935
Roberge and Guido were helpless against the massive dog, which crossed paths with her 31/2-pound canine on Jane Road, where she lives. All Roberge could do was watch as the life in her little dog's eyes slipped away, the pit bull shaking her Chihuahua from side to side.
"It's the worse thing I've ever seen in my entire life," Roberge said. "For the first few seconds (Guido) was looking up at me."
Young men nearby who heard the commotion tried rescuing Guido, pounding the pit bull in the face with their fists and kicking its body. Someone dumped a cup of hot coffee on the black and white pit bull's head.
The pit bull still would not relax its jaws. Roberge was screaming for help. Finally a male neighbor rammed his thumbs into the pit bull's eyes, and the vicious dog released Guido.
It was too late. The Chihuahua was dead.
The Aug. 11 attack happened near Timony Grammar School, the same neighborhood where the pit bull has had several violent run-ins with other dogs, prompting a petition from neighbors to have the dog removed. Instead, owners Christine Goldeski and her fiance, John Beckos, of 4 Hadley Road agreed with police to have the dog, named Ollie, euthanized.
"We are going to be in the neighborhood for the next 10 years at least," Goldeski said. "The thought of having our neighbors afraid of our dog was heart-wrenching to us."
As a result of this and one other attack, City Council Chairman Stephen Zanni has proposed a strict ordinance governing the ownership of pit bulls in the city. The law is modeled after similar legislation on the books in Boston and will be debated tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
Zanni's ordinance would require all pit bulls to wear muzzles if they are off their owner's premises, and be penned all other times. The penalties would be a warning for the first offense, $100 fine for the second offense, and seizure of the animal for the third offense. A seized animal may be euthanized, Zanni said.
He stopped short of a total ban on pit bulls because he wants to see if the muzzle law is effective.
"It's important that we protect our community," Zanni said. "I want people to feel safe."
A neighborhood 'fearing for our safety'
Residents living around Jane Road certainly did not feel safe. After Guido's death, frightened neighbors started a petition to have the dog removed from the area.
"This past incident was of such a violent nature, we the undersigned residents, fearing for our safety and that of the children and other pets in their neighborhood, hereby request that this dog be permanently banned from our neighborhood," the petition to police said.
The petition was signed by 31 residents, including Barbara DeCecca at 20 Jane Road. When her grandchildren would visit, she warned them about the pit bull when they played outside.
"I get nervous with a pit bull around when there are small children," DeCecca said.
Due to the petition, the Police Department held a public hearing last week to determine if the dog was dangerous. After the hearing, Goldeski agreed to have her dog killed before a decision was made by the hearing officer, police Chief Joseph Solomon said.
Ollie has since been euthanized. Goldeski and Beckos did not want the dog living with a muzzle, she said.
Goldeski's pit bull had a lengthy police record - four incidents in the past year, including the fatal attack on Guido.
In one attack in November 2005, Ollie entered a backyard on Hadley Road and attacked a dog named Lardie owned by police Sgt. Donald Lavigne. Lardie sustained lacerations to the ear and possibly the neck area, according to police reports.
In May, Ollie ran into School Committee member Gary Marcoux's backyard at 34 Hadley Road to attack his dog. Marcoux grabbed his dog and fled into his house. In another incident in June, Ollie scratched the rear door to get inside, Marcoux said.
Ollie attacked a small terrier owned by city Auditor Thomas Kelly at 7 Hadley Road in May last year. Ollie grabbed the terrier by the neck when Kelly's daughter let the smaller dog out of the house, according to police reports.
The day that Ollie killed Guido, the pit bull was on a leash being walked by a Goldeski family friend, Jennifer Bartlett, according to police reports. The Chihuahua was not on a leash.
Bartlett could not hold the pit bull back when the attack happened.
Zanni's pit bull legislation was prompted by at least one other pit bull attack. An elderly man living on Adelaide Avenue told Zanni that a pit bull tried attacking him while he was gardening, but the man ran into the house before the dog could bite him.
"I think people will feel a lot safer with this," Zanni said of the muzzle law.
The other pit bulls in Methuen
Of 637 dogs registered in Methuen, 19 are pit bulls or some mix of the breed, according to city records. They go by names like Busta, Repo, Diesel, Rage and Brandy.
Zofia Kibrzynski of 61 Brown St. owns a 9-year-old pit bull named Onyx. She said the dog is well trained and never attacks humans, though she always barks at other dogs.
"But if you don't want me to put it outside without a muzzle, that's OK with me," Kibrzynski said.
Zanni did not include other potentially aggressive dogs, such as Rottweilers or Dobermans, because there have been no reported problems with those breeds in Methuen, he said.
But Goldeski is opposed to punishing a specific breed of dog.
In her neighborhood, dog owners would routinely allow their pets to roam without leashes. According to the police report, Guido was not on a leash at the time of the killing. Goldeski said pit bulls and other breeds will defend their owners and property.
"To punish a breed of dog for a lack of responsibility of other dog owners would be awfully sad," she said.
Roberge supports the muzzle law. She cremated Guido, and his ashes are waiting at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals. She cannot bear to pick up the remains because it will be too emotional for her.
"He had the heart of a German shepherd and thought he was a Great Dane," Roberge said of her Chihuahua. "He was a great dog."
BOX 1: Muzzle that dog
City Councilor Stephen Zanni proposed a new dog ordinance aimed specifically at the pit bull breed. New law mandates:
* Pit bull must wear muzzles when it is off its owner's property
* While on the owner's land, the dog must be kept in a penned area set back a minimum of 20 feet from the front line of the property.
* First violation is a warning. Second violation is a $100 fine. Third violation, the dog will be seized for at least three days. Any animal that cannot be claimed by its owner will be sent to a shelter for disposal.
* Current city law allows the mayor to order individual dogs regardless of their breed to be muzzled for past violent acts or attacks on livestock.
BOX 2: Meet the neighborhood pit bull
Of 637 dogs registered in Methuen, 19 are pit bulls.
Name%Street where the dog lives
Diesel%Pelham Street
Jewel%Pelham Street
Pebbles%Pelham Street
Enyce%Newbury Avenue
Juelz%Chelmsford Street
Buttons%North Street
Remi%Arnold Street
Boxer%Kirk Street
Onyx%Brown Street
Bear%Clementi Lane
Repo%Oakland Avenue
Brandy%Oakland Avenue
Diesel%Jasper Street
Hailey%Jasper Street
Butch%Brown Street
Havoc%Renfrew Street
Rage%Oak Street
Harley%Oak Street
Busta%Birch Avenue
Source: City dog licenses
http://www.eagletribune.com/local/local_story_248063935