Bull mastiff mauls Winchester puppy to death

MASSACHUSETTS -- Dafna Leonard was walking Chase, her 4-month-old cockapoo, on a quiet street near her Winchester home Sunday when a larger dog ran from its owner, bounded across the road, and pounced on the puppy.

The dog grabbed Chase in its jaws and began shaking the puppy violently, Leonard’s husband, Brian, recalled. The attack lasted several minutes, until the larger dog was wrestled down by the owner’s son, he said. Dafna Leonard took Chase to an animal hospital, but the puppy died of its wounds.
 

This is the Bull Mastiff which killed little Chase

 

On Tuesday, Winchester police said they had determined that other people in Winchester had complained about the dog that attacked Chase. Police had also received complaints about the dog when it lived in Woburn, Winchester police said in a statement.

The dog was determined to be a bull mastiff, a large, powerful breed that is normally considered obedient and an “ideal family companion,” according to the website of the American Kennel Club.

You can't take anything the AKC says as the gospel. They are in the business of making money. They make money by promoting breeds and encouraging people to buy AKC pets -- they are not concerned with bad breeding practices (e.g. someone breeding an aggressive dog).

RIP little Chase

But that was not what the Leonards encountered. Brian Leonard said the bull mastiff shook Chase even after the puppy stopped whimpering.

“It was gory,” he said.

A Winchester police spokesman said a dog owner cannot be arrested when his or her dog attacks another dog. However, when police notified the owner of the bull mastiff to turn the dog over for a mandatory 10-day quarantine period, the owner failed to do so.

Winchester police said they are considering their legal options.

“We hope that all parties involved will cooperate with police and allow the investigation to run its course,” Police Chief Kenneth C. Albertelli said. “Our only concern is for the safety of all human and animal residents of Winchester.”

On Tuesday, Leonard said he saw two unleashed larger dogs on the property from which the dog that attacked Chase ran. He is now concerned with the safety of his wife and two daughters, 8 and 10, who are devastated by the loss of their puppy.

The house where the dog lives is owned by Robert Duzan. WBZ could not get onto the property on Tuesday because of all of the junk and phone calls were fruitless.

 

 

 

All they have left of Chase are their videos of him being a happy little dog

Other neighbors say there are also two Rottweilers in the house. Two years ago, one of the Rottweilers cornered Katrin Winterer.

“It stood there menacing and started to circle me in the street,” Winterer said.

Then a few days later, Winterer’s partner was walking their dog by Duzan’s home and the Rottweiler attacked.

“I tried to pick up my dog,” John Grausam said. “But he got him by the left thigh.”

The town of Winchester has been involved with Robert Duzan extensively. The Board of Health has tried to get him to clean up his property and on Tuesday the Animal Control officer tried to gain access to his house was not able to.
(Boston Globe - Oct 21, 2014)(Boston CBS Local)