Resident shocked by attack on pet at Marlboro dog park

Is the Marlboro dog run a wonderful addition to our community or an accident waiting to happen? The view of frolicking dogs along with happy owners and laughing children seems worthy of a postcard. Unfortunately, hidden in this picture are serious dangers that need to be addressed.

This past week, we entered the dog run with our Lab and joined the dozen other dogs and their extended families. Within a few minutes, I watched in disbelief as an aggressive larger dog barreled into our dog, knocked him over and bit down into his neck. The dog’s owner tried to get the locked jaws off my dog.

As people screamed, the dog finally released its hold and I was able to tend to my dog’s bloody wounds. The other owner said my dog must have “done something” and that his dog “just finished it.”

I went to the Marlboro Police Department and they called the town’s animal control officer, Anthony Lena. Officer Lena rushed over to the dog run but it had emptied by that point, probably due to the traumatic event that was just witnessed. He and I chatted for a few minutes about the incident and also about the potential for very serious injuries to occur within the fenced area.

Officer Lena expressed his thoughts on safety. He was not comfortable with very large dogs and un-neutered dogs mingling in an enclosed area with small dogs and small children. He showed me the sign that states that you “enter at your own risk” and we discussed whether the township would still face serious liability issues if something truly awful were to happen.

I was very impressed with this officer and believe that for safety’s sake, as well as for the township’s risk management, his knowledge needs to be incorporated into a new set of guidelines for the dog run.

My dog is on the mend, but I am still amazed at how fast this attack occurred and how much damage it did. I’m sure that most days pass joyfully and uneventfully at the Marlboro dog run, but I felt compelled to share this story with my fellow dog owners and especially with parents who bring along young children.

Please be aware that this dog run is not a “puppy palace” where children can have carefree fun with the neighborhood pups. Dogs are unpredictable and I’ve seen firsthand how fast joy can turn into a disaster.
Larry Simon
Marlboro