Steve's blog

I'm posting this in anger so please forgive the strident tone of this message. Maybe a picture will reduce this post by a thousand words.



This is a photo of Jack's back following a vicious assault last Saturday morning, May 3, by two large dogs that have been attacking and injuring other dogs for far too long at the dog run, Owls Head Park and the immediate neighborhood. Many of you know these out-of-control dogs: Fritz and Bella belonging to Mia Vailakis. My dogs were attacked without so much as a warning bark while we were crossing Colonial Road. Her dogs ran out from between two parked cars.

This was the fourth unprovoked attack on Jack and Auggie by her dogs in the past two years. It follows a string a similarly vicious attacks on other dogs in the neighborhood -- three dogs on this block alone. The photo also shows pretty clearly that these injuries weren't caused by a "fight" but by an attack.

Mrs. Vailakis knows better than anyone how dangerous her dogs are because she's witnessed the injuries they've caused to other dogs over and over again. Despite this, she continues to refuse to do anything to prevent it from happening again. This past Saturday, NYPD told her that she had to muzzle her dogs when they're taken outside from now on. She promised the cops that she would comply and she made the same promise me that afternoon.

This morning at 9:30am I saw Fritz and Bella being walked by my front door by her son, without muzzles.

I didn't want to make a federal case out of this, especially after Mrs. Vailakis assured me again just yesterday that her dogs won't be walked without muzzles again. So much for trying to resolve this matter amicably between dog owners. Sooner or later her dogs are going to kill one of my dogs, your dog or, worse, attack a child. I don't want that on my conscience. Bottom line, I don't want any more attacks on my dogs.

This afternoon, I contacted Ofc Joe Pentangelo at ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement and sent him a history of these dangerous animals. I've collected statements from the owners of dogs I know who have been attacked by Fritz and Bella but I know there must be more.

If you've had any bad experiences with Fritz and Bella, please either post them here or send them to me privately. I'll ask Ofc Pentangelo to read them.