Upper West Side residents are calling for legislative action after a service dog was brutally attacked by two pit bulls in a disturbing incident captured on video last Saturday night. The victim, a Chihuahua mix named Penny, is currently fighting for her life due to the injuries she sustained during the savage encounter.
Penny's owner Devon Allen witnessed his pet being mauled by larger dogs. The attack seemingly unprovoked, and the owners of the attacking dogs appeared to walk away without offering aid. "She was on a short leash right next to me. It wasn't like she was just running free. It wasn't like she provoked anything," Allen said in a statement obtained by CBS News New York.
In a separate interview, Lauren Claus, Penny's co-owner, shared with FOX 5 NY the harrowing ordeal. "She suffered substantial trauma and is injured all over her body," Claus recounted, stressing the dire condition of Penny.
In response to the violence directed at a well-known service animal, Devon Allen and Lauren Claus are advocating for stricter penalties for owners of aggressive dogs. Claus has started an online fundraiser to help cover medical costs and has also campaigned for changes to existing legislation. "So, basically, the only thing I can do is maybe sue this man in civil court and I could possibly try and get the dogs declared dangerous and taken away," Claus explained, according to CBS News New York.
City Council Member Gale Brewer has pledged to look into the issue in response to public concern. In a statement obtained by FOX 5 NY, Brewer revealed that multiple complaints have surfaced about similar aggressive incidents involving dogs in Central Park. "I've also gotten a lot of complaints about a similar situation in Central Park. Different persons, same problem, and nobody is doing anything about it," Brewer said.
Residents are requested to share any information they may have about the owners of the pit bulls. Community input may assist in ongoing efforts to address and manage dog-on-dog incidents within the city.
