On the evening of August 9, three poodles belonging to fitness guru Tracy Anderson surrounded 76-year-old Sag Harbor woman Monica Enders as she took out her trash, and one apricot-colored dog sank its teeth into her calf. Enders needed an ambulance after the attack, which left her with two bite wounds. Anderson's attorney said Enders remained conscious, walking and speaking as the couple helped her into the ambulance.
Enders told the Daily Mail that the dogs encircled her. Burke contended the dogs escaped through a hole in Enders's fence. A caretaker helped Enders call 911. An animal-control probe followed.
The New York Post reports that Anderson's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., described the couple as heartbroken over the ordeal and said the dogs are loving family pets that had never previously growled or surrounded anyone before getting spooked. Burke said Anderson's husband, Chris Asplundh, took full responsibility and secured the animals, and that the couple was with Enders immediately afterward as she remained conscious, walking and speaking with them while they helped her into the ambulance.
Animal Control Dropped a Dangerous-Dog Hearing
Suffolk County officials had evaluated pursuing a formal dangerous-dog hearing under state law but dropped the proceeding after Enders initially stated she could not identify which specific poodle had bitten her, the Daily Mail reported. New York's dangerous-dog proceedings require identifying the specific animal involved before a court can impose restrictions.
Separately, animal control's investigation led to charges against Asplundh for alleged local dog-licensing violations, per the same reporting.
What New York Law Says About Liability
Under Section 123 of New York's Agriculture and Markets Law, a dog owner can be held strictly liable for medical bills stemming from an unprovoked attack that causes physical injury, regardless of whether the owner knew the animal was aggressive, according to the New York State Senate.
Per the New York Post, Burke said Anderson and Asplundh secured the area, put up a temporary fence, and will follow through with their neighbor to ensure her fence is repaired. The attorney added that the couple continues to offer full support and concern for Enders' recovery.
Who Lives Behind the Hedges
Anderson, who created the Tracy Anderson Method fitness program, resides in a historic Sag Harbor property that once belonged to a whaler, according to The Zoe Report. The trainer, a close friend of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, married businessman Christopher Asplundh in summer 2021 at their 12.16-acre estate in New Hope, Pennsylvania, which the couple later listed for sale in August 2024 for $6.4 million, per Realtor.com.
Poodles were originally bred as hunting dogs, according to a discussion on Reddit.
Why Enders' Age Made the Attack More Dangerous
Emergency medicine research published in the Journal of Trauma and Injury shows that dog bite victims aged 65 and older experience significantly higher rates of severe open-wound trauma, hospital admission, and lingering physical complications than younger patients, a factor that helps explain the severity of Enders' injuries and her reported loss of consciousness in the ambulance.
The case also lands amid a broader trend: public health tracking shows emergency room visits for dog bites in New York State and across the country have climbed steadily since 2020, alongside a wider expansion in post-pandemic dog ownership.
