NYC euthanizes 2 dogs who attacked teen mugger in Queens

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The two stray dogs that people praised for stopping a teen mugger in Queens, as he tried to steal a woman’s purse, were euthanized on Friday, according to a report from the New York City’s Health Department spokesperson Julien Martinez.

According to the New York Post, on February 7, the delinquent 15-year-old followed a woman who got off an MTA bus in Springfield Gardens. When she sat down on a nearby bench and placed her purse by her side, the teen snatched it and ran off. In the age old tradition of “what goes around comes around” however, as the kid was escaping, two stray dogs – one German shepherd and a pit bull type breed had been in the park and chased the teen subduing him easily. The dogs then began to bite him. Police had to use pepper-spray and batons to get the dogs off the kid, and later used tranquilizer darts when the dog tried to attack the teen again. The teen was treated at the hospital for dog bites and later released.

The dogs were turned over to Animal Care Centers of New York City to their East Harlem facility. Originally sources stated the dogs had been turned over to the ASPCA in Manhattan. Even police officers from the 105th precinct reached out to help the dogs and get them released to a rescue group who could help them.

“The dogs deserved a second chance because of how they helped out,” cited one police officer. “It just doesn’t seem like justice was served for these dogs.”

And a New Jersey animal lover, George Petruncio, tried his best to adopt the dogs, but the Department of Health made the final decision- deeming the dogs “too aggressive” and refused Petruncio’s repeated requests to grant him custody of the dogs.

“They never gave the dogs a chance,” Petruncio told The Post. “They did a good thing and this is how you repay them? It’s garbage.”

The juvenile has been charged with petit larceny and has since been released to his parents.

Rest in peace Salem and Spunky. Sometimes justice isn’t justice at all. What do you think about this decision from the Department of Health? Feel free to weigh in.

Read the previous story here.

(Photos for teen mugger in Queens via Getty images)

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78 COMMENTS

  1. WTH is wrong with the world??? 2 dogs helped a human in need and they are killed. And save your breath with the crap about them being to aggressive. Someone messed up big time here and unfortunately 2 beautiful dogs lost their lives for it. Way to go Animal Care Center of New York!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. I think this is BULLSHIT!!! The dogs helped someone who really needed them without even being told and then they were destroyed. This is so wrong and NYAC needs to be STOPPED from destroying these animals for no reason. This is TERRIBLE. RIP HEROES!!!!

  3. That is bs! If people wanted to help those dogs, they should have let them! Ever heard of rehabilitation, 2 chance? RIP for those 2 dogs.

  4. someone should beat the fucking hell out punk kid for one,then hunt down the waste of flesh who gave the order to euthanize the dogs, if it was a human who stopped the mugging and beat the hell out of mugger he would be given a citation from city hall

  5. To the department of health you fucking suck fucking bastards you should’ve killed the fucking juvenile Who will probably grow up in and out of prison for the rest of his life wasting taxpayers money

    • It is disgusting. This place needs a major overhaul. They pledged to become no-kill and still haven’t made any effort to do so. They kill beautiful, loving, amazing, devoted dogs (and cats) nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! They need to be closed down and ethical, caring, dedicated people need to be in charge. They fire volunteers that try to help the dogs!! Look on youtube. There are many videos about these death camps for homeless pets. There is a new candidate for mayor who cares about the animals and wants to make a change. VOTE FOR SAL!!! Make a change, take a stand, speak out, share the info so that people are aware. And please, SPAY / NEUTER, ADOPT (DON’T SHOP!), FOSTER, PLEDGE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER, EDUCATE, TRANSPORT, SHARE, CROSSPOST, SAVE LIVES!!! ♡

  6. I wish the law would get their heads out of their butts .people that mistreat their animals should be locked up with no perole they are sick. Sick !

  7. No comments at all? This is ridiculous. These animals deserved much more than this. They definitely deserved a chance. There was someone that was willing to adopt, and they still refused? Incredible. Even the police felt they deserved a change. Makes me ill!!

  8. A rescue or k9 trainer should have been given a chance to work with the dogs, their behavior could be totally different in another environment away from the stress of the shelter

  9. So sorry !!! They deserved a chans !!! Theo do the right! !!!! Very bad !!! Nå justises åt all ????????????RIP SWEETIES ❤❤❤❤

  10. That is so wrong.They had someone who was willing to adopt these dogs and take good care of them.I am sure that he would have kept them away from people if they were aggressive but the man didn’t even get the chance to adopt and work with the dogs.If they were so aggressive then why didn’t they attack other people they went after the person who stole the purse not other people.Even a police officer tried to save them.Those stupid people who made the decision to kill the dogs are just stupid they didn’t even give those dogs a chance but yet the stupid ass teen will get more chances.Those dogs didn’t deserve this.Reminds me of the time when those stupid asses at the zoo in San Francisco were using a sling shot to torment the tiger at the zoo and the tiger paid the price and the other guys that survived the attack sued .Our laws are so screwed up.When you torment an animal like that you get what you deserve .That tiger was Only defending it’s self and those dogs were only trying to go after the bad guy not other people.It’s all bullshit.I can see them putting down an animal if it attacks for no reason but that wasn’t the case for these two dogs .When are they going to stop killing and find other ways.The really sad part is that these two dogs had someone willing to adopt them and take responsibility for them.

  11. One example of being aggressive and coincidently both dogs were determined to be too aggressive? Time for an investigation on how that was determined.
    I will be inquiring….who will join me?

    • Good for you, Michael. There are many cases where the DOH strong hand needed to be avoided.
      The one term mayor wants all the depts to cover his ass. The Exec Dir of the NYCACC is a lawyer and that explains everything – liability.

      I will help as I can and so will many dog and cat advocates. We need to find the owner(s) of the 2 dogs so they can sue the city, the DOH, NYCACC, AND ALL PERSONNEL

  12. This is disgusting! Who is the person who made this decision! What were his qualifications! These 2 dogs helped this woman and even though there were any number of people who reached out to help these dogs this thing took it upon itself to put them down! They were a German Shepard and a pit bull type dog! There is the reason and none other! I think there needs to be some oversite into this organization!

      • In response to Maia Mikahaili neither the dept of health the mayors office nor NYCACC has the qualifications to make this call! They aren’t even qualified to do intake at any shelter in New York City or the 5 Boros! This is a case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians!

  13. I think it’s just plain lousey those dogs were put down when they tried to help the police get that Bastard who took that lady’s pocketbook. They knew the kid was no good. It looks like he got off scot free too. I didn’t see if he got any punishment. But the hero’s were pts for their eforts. I feel sorry for the dogs!!!

  14. The dept of health’s decision stinks. These dogs acted to protect an innocent woman from a thug that was in the commission of a crime. That’s what police dogs are MADE of. The did without training what police dogs help policeman do! They are heroes and this is how they are repaid? They even had an advocate willing to be responsible for them and he’s right. This is garbage. It’s simple. They Knew he was BAD. Lady Good. Thug kid bad. Dogs good. SIMPLE stupid ass dept. of health doesn’t know their head from a hole in the ground. They are murderers. Rest in peace more beautiful babes with no justice.

  15. OUT-RAGEOUS!!!
    If there IS a God, those responsible for the MURDER of the two heroic dogs will themselves face a life-and-death crisis… WITHOUT SAVIORS LIKE THESE TWO: May they suffer mortally, as a consequence…
    KARMA’S A BITCH!!!

  16. No good deed goes unpunished as we see by them killing these dogs! What did they gain by not letting someone try to help them? I bet the POS mugger will walk with nothing more than a slap on the wrist!

  17. This seems to be all the NYC shelters do.
    I think they really enjoy destroying animals instead of saving them. No words The dogs are gone to a much better place than that hellhole they call a shelter.

  18. These dog were and will be heroes!!!!
    I hope and pray this juvenile POS learned a lesson from this.
    As for the health department…..HOW CAN AND DO YOU DEEM THESE HERO DOGS VICIOUS AND AGGRESSIVE???
    YOU DON’T THIS TO BE TRUE AT ALL. THEY WERE P-R-O-T-E-C-T-I-N-G A PERSON IN A CASE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE!!!
    HAD TO SPELL FOR YOU SLOWLY WHAT THEY REALLY DID JUST IN CASE YOU’RE TO S-T-U-P-I-D TO GET IT!!!!!!
    YOU KNOW THERE’E A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR ACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR Dr. Mary Travis Bassett(commissioner of the New York City Department).
    YOU JUST DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE ANYONE DO THEIR REAL JOB AND HELP THESE DOGS!!!

    Dr. Mary Travis Bassett remember KARMA IS A BITCH!!!!!!

  19. Only in NYC do you die for being a hero! Those stupid ass thugs are only going to do it again! It is so much easier to murder, isn’t it, DOH? No justice at all! More proof that the ACC does not care one iota about animals. They just wanna kill. But if a person went after those thugs, they’d be in jail. WTFG!

    • WE ADVOCATES ARE ATTEMPTING TO CREATE A DEPARTMENT FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND IN CASES AS THIS TO LET ANIMAL EXPERTS DECIDE WHAT TO DO NOT THE DEPT OF HEALTH.

      DO YOU KNOW THE NYCACC DOES NOT EMPLOYE AN ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST?

      It uses an outdated tool called a safer to determine behavior. The assessors are hs graduates who learn on the job and some have minimal animal experience. When they feel threatened by a dog, they do not safer it. They label it New Hope rescue only.

      Breeds like Rottweiler, Chow Chow , American Bulldog, Tibetan Mastiffs are often not safered and are labeled New Hope rescue only and people are reluctant to adopt or foster them.

      Go to http://www.helpdogs.urgentpodr.org/gonebutnotforgotten

      to see the beautiful, healthy, adoptable dogs that are put down.

      Look up Jacob and Panda who are on death row due to a DOH HOLD. THEIR OWNER IS TRYING TO GET THEM BACK. THEY ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BITEN THE OWNER’S MOTHER AND CAUSED HER DEATH. THE OWNER SAYS IT WAS A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.

  20. This is despicable! The trash running the so called department of health needs to be checked because someone has depleted it of brains and common sense. What goes around does come around, and the scum who made the decision to kill those dogs are going to end up paying for this horrible decision sooner or later. The dogs EARNED the right to a better life, and those a******s should have made certain they received it.

  21. NYC ACC? They are another hell hole. They do not give a rats ass. they just want to kill. These are thugs and the thanks they get is death. Humans would not have bothered to help this woman. This place sucks a huge rat infested asshole. (their volunteers that care for the dogs, for the most part really do but are gagged about what they say).

  22. pit bull type my ass. I had boxers for over 30 years. And my boxers were good quality boxers and people used to ask me if they were pit bulls. So really can ya tell. What was done to those dogs was a crime. . had people wanting to adopt and you murder the dogs. You. AH

    • You are so right, my sister’s neighbor was screaming all over the neighborhood that a “Pit Bull” was loose when one of the neighbor’s dogs escaped the pen and the neighbors were trying to catch her. She was actually a German Shorthaired Pointer. To some people, any dog would be a “Pit Bull”. One was a German Shepherd, there wasn’t any indication that these dogs had been any problem before becoming heroes, Nobody had been complaining about these “stray” dogs attacking people or causing problems. There were people willing to help these dogs there was NO reason to kill them!

  23. I am so numb and disgusted with so much abuse. And the tng is that it’s not only delinquent ppl but, ppl with titles? So their’s just no way out of this but, believe God will redeem it fit to each one to get their accountabilty and to get judged if they don’t repent before.bc, honostly this is outrages what’s happening in this world. If this Nation ain’t in no way shape or form trying to live for God than whom are the ppl and the Animals none the less. Smh

  24. This is totally wrong, the dogs were doing the right thing, they were not at fault and the punk a$$ kid was the criminal, this just paints a picture that says if the dogs were people they would have been euthanized? What the heck is wrong with this world, the one that should have been euthanized is the mugger.

  25. The Department of Health AND NYCACC are two ignorant agencies who killed these dogs for no reason whatsoever. The dogs were NEVER given a chance even though they saved a human from a violent punk who is the one who should have been euthanized. Regardless of Mr. Petruncio’s offer to adopt them. Even the police did not want these dogs killed, but that is exactly what was done. THE WRONG SPECIES WAS MURDERED.

  26. The cops didn’t shoot the dog there be used at the weapons to stop them not like yesterday the cop shot a dog. But you’re right the dogs should have got a second chance I like how the officer even stood up and made a comment like that about Justice not being served that’s the kind a cops we need not these ones are too fast to the gun

  27. Il est inadmissible et injuste d’assassiner 2 chiens qui ont protégé un humain d’un autre humain. Le politique qui a fait ça ne devrait plus exercer, il est aussi barbare que celui qui a agressé la mamie, et le fumier qui est en liberté devrait être en prison. Je suis écoeurée de ce monde de parasites. Quelle HONTE.

  28. What absolute BULLSHIT ! We have dogs to protect us because thee is always danger lurking somewhere unknown. If police can kill muggers, then why can’t dogs use their natural instinct to protect their owners. It’s high time people start using the it brains intelligently. NO ONE can save the world, but we can all do our best to protect ourselves, as instinct says ! We ALL have a survival and protective instinct ! My flippen oath !!

  29. I agree with the comment. These dogs knew what the kid was doing was wrong. They should not have been killed for what they did. The man that wanted to adopt them should have been allowed to do so. That is what they are in the business for….to get these animals adopted and into a home…..not kill them for doing a good deed. That kid deserved more than bites…

  30. THIS JUST ILLUSTRATIVE OF WHAT CARE AND COMPASSION MEANS TO THE ACC. IT DOESN’T EVEN BOTHER TO FIND OUT AN ANIMAL’S HISOTRY AND ISN’T INTEREST IN SAVING LIVES AT ALL. TO THE NYC ACC HOMELESS ANIMALS ARE JUST CASH COWS. IT’S JUST DISGUSTING.

  31. They should have euthanized the stupid kid. NOT the dogs. What the heck is wrong with this world these days. This is so unbelievable.????

  32. Another delinquent on the streets causing problems for the police department and now 2 innocent dogs. Maybe it’s time to punish these delinquent kids and THE PARENTS, as well. Parents that raise kids who constantly get into trouble need to be held accountable, as well.

  33. I view this situation very differently. From the information provided, these two dogs had no relationship with the woman whose purse was stolen. They were stray dogs who just happened to be in the same area where the incident took place. Therefore, I fail to see how they could be perceived as “protecting” the woman or trying to “help” by apprehending the purse snatcher. Dogs do not have an understanding of theft in this context — to ascribe such philanthropic attributes to them and deem them “heroes” is, in my opinion, quite ludicrous and fails to show understanding of canine behavior. It is far more likely that the dogs saw the purse snatcher running with an object flailing by his side (the purse) and their instinctual prey drive took over. Viewed from that perspective, their attacking and biting the man was inappropriate and dangerous, not heroic. It is certainly very sad that the two dogs lost their lives, but it’s also sad that the shelter is getting such criticism for apparently prioritizing human safety over “second chances” for the dogs. The reality is that not every dog is safe to rehome in the community and a bite history like these two had puts the community at risk and sets the shelter up for liability issues (which can potentially impair their ability to help other, non-aggressive dogs). I realize my opinion is at odds with just about everyone else commenting here, but felt I needed to posit another viewpoint on the situation.

    • You have a valid point of view, but that being said, be they heroes or not, there were people wiling to take these dogs even with the supposed vicious label so why not let someone sign a waver and try to save them? The dogs seemingly hadn’t been a problem before they attacked the “alleged” mugger (and I believe a dog’s judgement about good and bad people could likely have had something to do with that) so I see no reason why the rush to judgment about them and the hasty disposal of two lives. Letting someone help them wasn’t going to keep two other dogs from being helped in this case.

      • You noted that “the dogs seemingly hadn’t been a problem before they attacked….” however I didn’t see any information regarding their past behavior. From what I understood, they were two strays who happened upon the scene, origin unknown. If you have some additional information about their history, I would appreciate seeing it. I did see some information online (can’t locate it again, unfortunately) that indicated the shelter had a very difficult time evaluating the dogs because of their continued aggressive behavior once brought there.

        With regard to someone being willing to adopt them even with a vicious label – sorry, but that is not a scenario I’m personally comfortable with. I handled adoptions for a dog rescue for many years and can tell you that just because someone says they are willing to work with a dog that has behavior issues doesn’t mean they are qualified to do so. There is a huge risk involved in adopting out dogs with a documented history of biting or other aggressive behavior. What’s to say that the potential adopter wouldn’t allow these dogs to run at large off leash, thereby putting some other person like the purse snatcher in danger of being attacked? What’s to say that he brings them to visit friends with young children, who aren’t able to read canine body language and inadvertently antagonize the dogs with tragic results? There are all manner of situations that could occur, putting people at risk. When it’s you or your family member that gets bitten, the fact that the adopter signed a waiver really means precious little.

        Please understand that I too want every dog to have a chance at being adopted into a loving home and being blessed with a wonderful quality of life…..when it’s appropriate. Having volunteered and worked in the shelter/rescue world for many years, however, I firmly believe that in some cases it is just not safe to place a dog into an adoptive home. Was this one of them? Hard to say for those of us just reading articles online and not actually meeting or evaluating the dogs. But from the information provided, it certainly sounds to me like these dogs fell into the category of posing too much risk to safely rehome. A very sad, but not uncommon, reality.

      • I’m sure you are right, the dogs were more than likely nonredeemable, I don’t know what I was thinking, I see a dog named Spunky (my German Shepherd was named Spunky) and I loose all sense of reality. There are some rescues that will take in dogs deemed to be vicious Michael Vick’s dogs, many were rehabilitated. I just thought they deserved a chance.

  34. If these two heroic dogs were turned over to NYCACC they were given an automatic death sentence – this is no ‘CARE’ center – it is a death row for all animals unfortunate enough to be housed there. The TRUE criminal is the punk who attempted to rob a woman and was stopped ONLY because these dogs attacked him. NYCACC has no right to call itself a ‘CARE’ center – it is NOT. They have a miserable reputation which is so rightly deserved – these dogs deserved much better than to be put down – the human punk should have been euthanized and I bet he will continue his criminal ways.

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