A three-year old Maltese/Yorkie dog, owned by Robert and Lauren Baressi of 3 Phillips Road, was fatally attacked by another dog, reportedly a pit bull, on Monday, December 5. The offending dog is reportedly owned by William Leavitt, of 31 Lucille Drive.
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| RIP Benny |
After receiving a call informing them of the incident, Tewksbury police officers arrived to the scene at 8:15 p.m. and the Tewksbury Board of Health was notified.
The pit bull had reportedly previously attacked the dog on May 7. Baressi said that Leavitt, after both incidents, “took off.”
Robert and Lauren were deeply distraught.
“I can't stress to you the love we had for this dog, and he had for us,” Robert said in an e-mail to the Crier. He also expressed concern for the rest of the people and pets in the area. He said he printed a flyer warning friends and neighbors about the dog.
“We’re hoping to raise a family in the area. I know there are a lot of children of pets in the area. I’m just concerned for the children and pets in the area. This is the second attack in sixth months, and it’s going to happen again,” he said. He wants to see some kind of justice.
“I just pray to God that something like this never happens again,” said Baressi.
Last July, Leavitt had been arrested and charged for possession of a Class B substance with the intent to distribute.
Leavitt received orders to quarantine the dog at home for ten days, which means that the dog must be crated and leashed.
Lou-Ann Clement, the director of Tewksbury’s Board of Health, said the matter is currently under investigation.
There will be a hearing with Sgt. Patrick Harrington regarding the case. The date has yet to be determined.
Pitbull is the colloquial name for a number of bull terrier breeds including the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and Staffordshire bull terrier.
(Tewksbury Town Crier - Dec 16, 2011)
