“my four and a half-month old puppy was attacked by another dog in Swampdoodle Park in NoMa.”

“Dear PoPville,

On Monday, May 15th, 2023 at approximately 7:30 am, my four and a half-month old puppy was attacked by another dog in Swampdoodle Park in NoMa. The dog entered the park with its owner and bolted straight for my dog, jumping him, and viciously attacking him. Luckily, my dog was at my feet, and with the help of an unidentified good samaritan, they pulled the dog off of mine, stopping the attack.

I immediately leashed my dog and tried to soothe him. He was visibly shaken and upset. The owner restrained her dog initially, but then released her five minutes later, and the dog attacked my puppy once more while in my possession.

My dog escaped unscathed, physically at least, only because he was by my side both times. Through a post on Next Door following the incident, I’ve discovered this particular dog has an established history of attacking other dogs—not every dog—but what she deems is a puppy. My own is not small, at four and a half-months, weighing in at forty pounds as I write this. That day I also contacted Animal Control and reported the incident, speaking with an Investigator.

This morning, I have written and submitted a letter to the stakeholders of Swampdoodle Park to raise my concerns. The stakeholders are: the NoMa Business Improvement District (NoMa BID), the NoMa Parks Foundation, Friends of NoMa Dogs (FONDS), and the Humane Rescue Alliance (Animal Control).

I want to know how many PoPville readers, who are dog owners, have faced this dangerous situation themselves? How many victims were told not to come back to the dog park as a solution to the problem? What would you do if you discovered the dog that attacked yours had a track record of previous attacks?

Yes, all dog owners accept a certain amount of risk when entering a dog park. But it goes without saying that removing the victimized dog from the park does nothing to address the root cause of this dangerous situation that centers around one aggressive dog with a history of attacking behavior. This particular dog in my situation will simply find a new and unsuspecting target and the cycle of dangerous behavior continues.

I feel sorry for the aggressive dog. But my concern lies with those victimized, including my own. I want to prevent any further attacks. It is one thing for a dog to act out of character, and for everyone to be surprised by an altercation, but the situation is entirely different when the others who frequent the park are aware this happens—most notably the owner—and the only one left in the dark is the new visitor, who unsuspectingly enters the park with the aggressive dog’s prime target. Where is the culpability of the owner, and those who defend her dog’s actions, stating that I’m “very over exaggerating” the situation through my post on Next Door? It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and throw stones when you rest in the comfort of confidence and safety that comes with knowing your own dog does not fit the criteria and will never be a target of the offending dog.”