An apparent stray pit bull mauled a cocker spaniel to death Thursday morning on Boulevard East after efforts by a Weehawken police officer to save the injured dog failed.
According to Weehawken Deputy Police Chief Robert DelPriore, a Weehawken resident was walking his 9-year-old cocker spaniel along the eastern side of Boulevard East, between Fulton Avenue and 46th Street, Thursday morning at 7:05 a.m. when a pit bull came out of nowhere and began to attack the cocker spaniel.
Police responded to a 911 call that stated that a man was screaming along Boulevard East. When Weehawken Police Officer Robert Jacobson arrived at the scene, the pit bull had the cocker spaniel by the throat and wouldn’t let go.
“Once the pit bull had the cocker spaniel by the neck, it was going to be hard to get the injured dog free,” DelPriore said. “Officer Jacobson struck the pit bull three times and it finally released the injured dog. But as soon as the [striking] stopped, it went back and attacked the injured dog again and then looked as if it was going to attack the officer or the owner.”
DelPriore said that Jacobson then shot the pit bull in the front leg. The pit bull then staggered a few steps and fell. Both dogs received emergency treatment at the scene from an EMT crew that was passing by. The injured cocker spaniel was brought to a Hoboken veterinarian, where it died early Friday morning.
The wounded pit bull was transported to the Humane Society of Newark. Its condition is unknown.
The owner of the cocker spaniel was distraught over the incident and did not want to be identified.
Weehawken Public Safety Director Jeff Welz said that this was a random incident, that Weehawken does not have a problem with stray animals, although this pit bull is believed to have an owner.
“We believe that the attacking pit bull belonged to someone, because it had a collar and a chain, but had no further form of identification,” Welz said. “So we don’t believe it was a true stray, although we have no idea where it came from.”
Terrifying incident
Welz said that the attack happened so fast that it couldn’t have been halted.
“As terrifying as it was to the victim dog and its owner, an attack like this is almost unpreventable,” Welz said. “We don’t know where the dog came from, how it got loose. It could have come from any of the neighboring towns. We have a strict enforcement of the leash laws, but sometimes, we get the occasional stray wanderer, who breaks away from the backyard or a chain.”
Welz, who is also a dog owner and walks his dog daily near the same spot of the attack, sympathized with the owner.
“We don’t have these attacks often,” Welz said. “This is the first dog attack of any kind that I can remember. I walk my dog that way every morning and I never see any pit bulls, even on leashes. Dog owners have a legal responsibility to secure their dogs. They’re supposed to be leashed and gated at all times. As a dog owner, I have the utmost sympathy for the dog and its owner, but this was an extremely isolated case. As a fellow dog owner, I wish the owner would come forward and offer some sort of condolences.”
Welz offered some tips for dog owners in case of similar instances.
“Well, people carry mace for personal protection against criminals,” Welz said. “Mace also works on dogs as well. That’s a possibility.”
Welz said that the township has a contract with the Humane Society to pick up stray animals.
“We do have strays and we have the ability to secure the strays,” Welz said. “We just don’t have attacks like this.”
While some animal activists believe that pit bulls generally cause problems and have a tendency toward violence, Welz believes that it is more than likely a reflection of their owners and the lack of discipline provided.
“My belief is that pit bulls have a reputation of being very aggressive,” Welz said. “But I know pit bulls that are loving and caring. The breed is potentially dangerous. You have to be cautious in dealing with those dogs. Their jaws are like a vice. But I don’t think it’s the dog’s fault; rather, the owner’s.”
Welz assured Weehawken dog owners that this was an isolated incident and that the police force will be on the lookout for any further stray animals of any kind.
DelPriore said that if the owner of the pit bull is identified, he or she will face criminal charges.