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On December 21, 2003, Rebecca Skloot's 14 year-old dog, Bonny, was mauled by a pack of junkyard dogs. This same pack had mauled or killed at least a dozen other dogs, and they'd attacked many people. Though city officials knew of the attacks, they repeatedly refused to stop the dogs. The city claims there are no laws against dogs attacking dogs, even if a human is attacked in the process. The truth is, there are laws against this, but there's a loophole in New York's dangerous dog laws that allows city organizations to remain inactive, leaving citizens vulnerable.
Rebecca Skloot wrote ''When Pets Attack'' for New York Magazine with hopes of telling the story of Bonny's attack, and exposing the enormous problem of dangerous dog laws in New York. When the story ran, the pack that attacked Bonny was still loose & attacking people and animals. But thanks to an incredible outpouring of reader support, city officials were flooded with e-mails and phone calls demanding legislative change and removal of the pack. The Mayor's office and the Mayor's Alliance for Animals got involved. They were unable to take these dogs from their owner, Harry, because of the same legal loophole Skloot reported on in her story. But after several months of discussions and promises of public housing if he gave up the dogs, The Mayor's Animal Alliance convinced Harry to give up six of his dogs. The Mayor's office then moved Harry into public housing in The Bronx, where he currently lives with two of the eight dogs that mauled Bonny.
To the many concerned readers who regularly contact Skloot about this story, even years after its publication, to check on Bonny and ask how they can help, she sends many thanks, and welcomes your emails. Today, Bonny is healthy and happy, and just past her 17th birthday. But the problem with the New York dangerous dog law has still not been fixed. Assembly members have drafted legislation to fix these problems, but they have not been passed into law yet, so you can still help by contacting city officials to insist they fix those legal loopholes. Here's who to call or email:
Mayor Bloomberg's office: Just dial 311 in New York or 212-New-York from outside the city, or email using his online form
Governor Pataki: 518-474-8390 or email using his online form. Assembly Member Gottfried (the dogs were in his district) 212-807-7900 or 518-455-4941 or email him at gottfrr@assembly.state.ny.us
Counsilwoman Quinn (the dogs were in her district) 212-564-7757 or 212-788-6979 or email her at quinn@council.nyc.ny.us
Congressman Nadler (the dogs were in his district) 212-367-7350 or email him at jerrold.nadler@mail.house.gov
Senator Clinton: (212) 688-6262 or (202) 224-4451 or you can email using a form on her website
The Health Department: 212-676-2100 (you can file a complaint about the dogs or talk to Ed Boyce, director of veterinary public health, and ask him to do something about them) or you can email him at eboyce@health.nyc.gov. You can also contact Edgar Butts, who's working on the case currently. He's at 212-442-1633 or you can email him at ebutts@health.nyc.gov
NYPD: Email the Police Commissioner, Edward Kelley, using his online form.
Also, please contact assemblywoman Eva Moskowitz to offer support see how you can help with the bill she's trying to get voted into law -- if it passes, it will fix the main legal loophole behind this problem. Her phone number is 212-818-0580 or you can email her at moskowitz@council.nyc.ny.us.
News Coverage about the problem by other reporters:
Junkyard Dogs Belonging to a Homeless Man Blamed for Pet Attacks, by Michelle Charlesworth, ABC Eyewitness News, October 4, 2004
Bite-ter Dispute, by Hasani Gittens, New York Post, October 3, 2004
Pack of Dangerous Dogs Terrorize Manhattan Neighborhood, CBS news, March 23, 2004. |
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Photo by Eugene Richards |
