Dog In Fatal Bite Case Should Be Put Down: Appeal Officer

SUFFIELD, CT — An appeal hearing officer charged with determining the fate of a dog which police say attacked and killed a 95-year-old woman nearly a year ago has issued a proposed final decision, upholding the original decision of the Suffield animal control officer that the animal be put down.

Information contained in a 30-page report by hearing officer Carole Briggs, obtained by Patch from the Department of Agriculture, states on Nov. 6, 2019, Janet D'Aleo of Enfield was visiting a friend at the Thrall Ave. home of the friend's daughter and son-in-law, Annie and Neil Hornish. The couple were not home at the time, but testimony indicates D'Aleo was repeatedly bitten by their dog Dexter, a pit bull/pointer mix who had been adopted by the Hornishes in June of that year.

D'Aleo sustained massive wounds, with Suffield animal control officer Ryan Selig testifying to the "severe amount of flesh, skin and muscle missing from the victim's body." The Office of the State Medical Examiner determined the dog was "the mechanism of attack" which was "a contributing factor" in the elderly woman's death, according to the report.

"This is the worst dog on human bite I've ever seen," Selig testified.

Eight days after D'Aleo's death, Selig issued a disposal order for Dexter to be euthanized. The Hornishes appealed the decision, and the dog was ordered quarantined at the River Valley Animal Center on Route 75, according to the report.

After several delays, the appeal hearing was conducted remotely on June 2, and continued on June 4. Selig testified he was informed of three prior bite incidents in Norwich from Dexter's previous owner, two of which were reported to that city's police department, according to the report.

During his testimony, Selig said Dexter "is a public safety risk." When questioned whether the dog is a danger to the public, Selig replied, "Yes, he is."

Annie Hornish, the Connecticut director of the Humane Society of the United States, arrived home moments after the attack. She testified she believed her dog had been provoked, offering a theory that "Dexter greeted D'Aleo enthusiastically and knocked her down," prompting the woman's aide to respond "by attacking Dexter with the stool, which provoked Dexter into attacking D'Aleo," according to the report.

In her conclusions, Briggs wrote, "I do not credit the theory of the owners," and recommended "the town's disposal order be affirmed."

The Hornishes have 15 days from receipt of the proposed final decision to submit exceptions or briefs, or to schedule oral argument before an official final decision is rendered.