The Town of Rosendale Police Department responded to a serious dog attack on Tuesday, July 11, in which the dog was reportedly “ripping the arm off” according to a July 13 social media post by the department.
According to the Rosendale Police, the victim received severe injuries and had “uncontrollable bleeding,” after the attack by a Rottweiler; the dog was separated from the victim and secured, and responding officers applied a tourniquet to the victim to stem the flow of blood. The unnamed victim was transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie.
During the incident, the Rosendale Recreation Center, including the town’s summer camp, was put on lockdown due to its close proximity.
The Ulster County SPCA replied to the Rosendale Police Department’s Facebook post to discuss their role as the DCO (Dog Control Officer) for Rosendale, which eventually included euthanizing the Rottweiler.
“This dog had not been adopted from our shelter, but as the DCO, the dog was impounded to our custody and transported to our shelter,” wrote the agency. “In accordance with the Dunbar Dog Bite Assessment, this was a Level 5 bite incident, defined as ‘multiple bites at Level 4 or above. A concerted, repeated attack.’”
Dr. Ian Dunbar’s Dog Bite Scale is a six-level assessment used by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Nearly all dog bite incidents fall within the lowest – least harmful – pair of levels. Level 6 is ascribed when the victim dies, but Level 5 is also considered very serious.
“The dog is extremely dangerous and mutilates,” reads the assessment for both Level 5 and Level 6 incidents. “The dog is simply not safe around people. I recommend euthanasia because the quality of life is so poor for dogs that have to live out their lives in solitary confinement.”
In its response to the Rosendale Police Department post, the Ulster County SPCA acknowledged that both the attack and resulting euthanasia can be difficult to hear about.
“It is important that the public understands the objective methods used in determining euthanasia decisions,” wrote the SPCA. “The origin of this dog (rescue/shelter) is not relevant to the behavior or the outcome, as each dog is an individual and behavior is determined and expressed by a variety of influencing factors. These situations are emotional and difficult for all involved and, especially with social media, it can be easy to make assumptions and lay blame. We ask for compassion and thoughtfulness for those involved in this tragic incident.”
Join the family! 
