Woman Files Dog Complaint After Death of Her Pooch

Marianne Larsen felt helpless.

The Mahopac woman watched in horror as a large Rottweiler sank its teeth into the back of her 10-year-old poodle mix as she walked the dog in front of her Lake Baldwin home earlier this month.

The time was 12:30pm when Larsen decided to take Mattie and her other dog, Suzie, a Chinese Crested Powder Puff, for a walk on a sunny afternoon: “We were out for a while, and as I began to walk back to my driveway, I noticed a neighbor with her two large dogs—a Rottweiler and a large yellow dog. The dogs were pulling her, and as I gathered my dogs close to me, my neighbor shouted: ‘I can’t hold them.’ I told her: ‘Don’t let them go!’ when she dropped her leash and the Rottweiler charged at Mattie. Mattie snipped at his nose because she was afraid and with that the big dog grabbed her back and sank his teeth into her. He backed off and bit her a second time. I hit him over the head with my leash since I was afraid he would attack me next. Mattie was bleeding profusely. I picked her up and ran into the house.”

Mattie was taken to the South Putnam Animal Hospital, where she was stabilized. Veterinarians suggested that Larsen take her gravely injured dog to the Bedford Hills Animal Hospital, which has an intensive care unit.

The dog had suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung plus massive skin lacerations necessitating major surgery.

Larsen said the veterinarian advised Mattie’s chances for survival were slim: “I couldn’t do that to her—to incur pain and suffering like that. I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life and had her put to sleep.”

Larsen said what made her so upset was that the incident was “totally preventable. It wasn’t done with any malice. People with large dogs must learn how to control their animals. When I first adopted Mattie from a shelter in Brooklyn, I took her to a training class in Carmel. The instructor had a Rottweiler which was so well behaved. Despite his size, the students weren’t the least bit concerned.”

Last week, Larsen filed a dangerous dog complaint with the Town of Carmel against the neighbor Marjorie Ferrara.

Carmel Police initially reported that the Mattie had been the aggressor. Lt. Brian Karst issued a statement last Thursday after the Courier’s interview with the distraught dog owner: “This case was investigated at the time of the incident and the responding officers made a determination after interviewing both parties. Mrs. Larsen is entitled to file a dangerous dog complaint pursuant to the New York State Agricultural and Markets Law. The matter will be heard and resolved by a judge.”

Carmel Town Justice Joseph Spofford said he could not discuss the case due to the pending hearing, however, former Carmel Town Judge and current Putnam County Judge James Reitz said during his many years on the bench in the Carmel Mahopac area numerous dangerous dog complaints had been adjudicated: “In some incidents, the dog was ordered confined to a particular property, while in others the animal’s owner was fined and the dog was barred from living in the town. Each case is different and I’m sure the judge assigned the case will make the proper ruling.”