And New Hartford town Justice James Van Slyke made a whopper when he sentenced Jack the Shetland sheepdog to death after Jack bit his owner’s 2-year-old granddaughter in the face. The snap required the little girl to get four stitches.
Nobody saw it happen, so it’s really not known whether Jack was provoked. Nevertheless, Van Slyke tagged Jack as a “dangerous dog” and ordered he be euthanized.
Come on. Anyone who has ever seen a small child around a dog — any animal — knows that kids can be less than gentle. They poke eyes, pull hair, and find other creative ways to pester critters that are otherwise very loving and peaceful. All indications are that Jack was just that way.
Owner Natalie Beratta says Jack never showed signs of violence prior to the March 27 incident, and he’s been a model prisoner at the Stevens-Swan Humane Society since his incarceration. Clearly, the snap was simply a defense mechanism.
Nevertheless, New Hartford attorney Herb Cully says Jack won’t get credit for good behavior when Oneida County Court Judge Michael L. Dwyer decides on appeal whether Van Slyke’s decision should stand. Cully said Dwyer can consider only evidence that was presented at the April 1 hearing that resulted in the euthanization order.
Hopefully Judge Dwyer won’t make the same mistake.
(Observer-Dispatch - June 5, 2013)
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