A small dog is still recovering after being mauled by larger dogs in Manhattan earlier this month.
CBS News New York has learned it’s possible the attack could have been prevented.
It has been nearly a month since Lauren Claus’ dog, Penny, was viciously attacked on the Upper West Side by two large dogs.
“This process has been extremely frustrating. I’ve learned a lot in the past month about how much this city doesn’t really seem to care about the welfare of dogs and how willing they are to sort of cast aside somebody,” Claus said.
She said her mission to get justice for her 10-year-old Chihuahua mix has been hitting brick walls, as the law says pets are considered property.
“That’s disgusting to me. That’s absolutely disgusting to me,” Claus said.
The March 5 order by the NYC Department of Health
Claus also learned that back on March 5 the city’s Department of Health ordered the owner of the aggressive animals to keep his dogs muzzled and on tight leashes, after both were involved in a fatal attack in Central Park in January.
Claus said that order was not in compliance the day Penny was attacked earlier this month.
“If they had acted on the violation of the order, this never would have happened to Penny, because he would have been in violation. And under that misdemeanor, his dogs could have been seized, without question,” Claus said.
A week after Penny was attacked, hundreds of people poured into a packed room with deep concerns, saying the two dogs involved in Penny’s attack have been a constant problem.
They met with police, the Department of Health, and local leaders, including City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who just found out about the Department of Health’s order from CBS News New York on Wednesday.
“I was livid. I didn’t know a thing about it,” Brewer said. “Thank you for bringing it to our attention. Nobody shared this information, even at the meeting. The Police Department and the Health Department need to work together to have these dogs muzzled on a leash or off the streets.”
Dog owner in question was hit with summonses
The Health Department says it followed up on the order twice in March, giving the dog owner two separate summons for a $1,000 fine after learning the owner didn’t muzzle the dogs. It would only say now that the investigation is ongoing.
For now, Claus is continuing the fight for her dog. She said she thinks about what happened and the aftermath “every day, every time I look at her,” adding, “I’m working on her case all the time. It has become a second job for me.”
She said she hopes a bill in Albany called “Penny’s Law,” designed to hold dog owners accountable for their pets’ actions, will pass. She said she is starting a petition to get city leaders on board.
“We’re really asking the city to pay attention and actually prosecute crimes that are clear crimes. But this is something that’s actionable, that we can actually move on, and we’re not sure why,” Claus said.
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