[KeettyGlots]

What do you folks think? I'm on the fence. As a side note, I know both Cyd and Frank personally.

News 10 ABC Special Report: Dangerous Dogs - NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

By Taryn Fitsik - email



SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - The debate about dangerous dogs amid recent violent attacks has prompted both sides to defend their feelings.

Now New York State Assemblyman Jim Tedisco is stepping in.
Tedisco says reports of dangerous dog attacks in the Capital Region are becoming an epidemic.

But dog trainers say you must understand what leads up to a dog being dubbed as dangerous, otherwise you are doing the breed a terrible injustice.

"They were certainly trying to eat me alive, they really were," says Shirleen Lucas.

59-year-old Shirleen Lucas says when she goes to sleep each night, she re-lives the attack on Hulett street in Schenectady, when she was dragged through the grass by what police say were three pitbulls, leaving her with half of her ears, and the daily struggle to walk.

"They need to be off the streets and especially out of people's homes," she says. "No matter how good of a dog care-taker you think you are, you don't need to have them, no matter how you think you're going to raise them, because those dogs are naturally vicious anyway."

Cydney Cross, a dog trainer, says pre-judging a dog or a breed is one of the worst things to do.

"The first actual face transplant from a dog bite was from a lab, so any breed of dog can have a problem," says Cross. "It has everything to do with the handlers, everything to do with them."

"I can't tell you how many times I've heard, 'oh my dogs have never done this before', adds Frank David, also a dog trainer. "Well, there was a progression of issues that led up to 'I can't believe this my dog never did this before' that you didn't recognize or didn't do anything about."

David has rehabilitated more than 40 dogs of all breeds.
He says owning a dog means you're training that dog, on some level, every day of its life.

Tedisco agrees, and is drafting a dangerous dogs deterrent act that will increase the penalties for owning a dangerous dog, making it a possible felony offense if that dog harms someone, carrying a penalty of up to two years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Right now, under the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law, a dangerous dog means any dog which without justification attacks a person or companion animal.

"Obviously we don't think it's the animal's fault for the most part," says Tedisco. "Any animal or dog can have a bad day. But to protect against that bad day, you've got to have a responsible dog and pet owner."

But for Bobby Graham, who owns a pitbull, the law seems harsh.
"To hold an individual liable for something their animal may have done when it wasn't in his presence is kind of hard to do," says Graham.

Lucas hopes the goal of increased responsibility will prevent anyone from walking in her shoes again.

"I can't put it into words," she says. "I'm just so grateful, I'm so thankful that I was able to escape it and survive it."

The bill calls for raising penalties up to a felony offense, and will not be breed specific.

Essentially, it gives district attorneys more discretion based on the severity of the crime.

Tedisco introduced the bill to the assembly last week and now has a sponsor in the Senate.

He hopes for it to pass during the next session.

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