3 Dogs That Attacked Man And Woman At Secaucus Motel Will Be Euthanized, Judge Rules

SECAUCUS, NJ — The three dogs that attacked a man and woman at the Red Roof Inn last month and attacked another dog two days later in Hoboken will be killed, Secaucus municipal court Judge Karen Boylan ruled Tuesday.

Boylan gave the owner of the dogs, Hoboken resident Robert Braxton, 20 days to file an appeal in the case.

That means Braxton has until 1 p.m. on March 23 to file an appeal of her decision. Braxton does not have a lawyer and represented himself in court Tuesday.

If he does not file an appeal, the dogs will be euthanized anytime after 1 p.m. on March 23, the judge said.

"Mr. Braxton, you did not recognize (your) role and responsibility as a good dog owner. You’ve failed. You’ve absolutely failed," the judge told Braxton. "I do find that your three dogs are vicious and they are going to be put down."

"I know the county prosecutor will be upset with that, and I know the Secaucus Animal Shelter will be upset with that," said Boylan, alluding first to the long length of time she gave Braxton to file an appeal. Her second comment was in reference to the fact that the dogs are currently being held at the Secaucus Animal Shelter, where shelter workers describe the trio as "vicious" and say they are being kept behind double-locked cages.

Braxton, 42, was present in court Tuesday after being ordered to appear. He told the judge he had no comment when she issued her decision to euthanize his pets.

Immediately after court ended, Patch asked Braxton if he planned to appeal, and he and his wife said they would not be answering any questions. Braxton's wife shielded his face as they hurried out of Secaucus town hall, which is where the municipal court is located.

The judge said she is "a dog person."

But Boylan also said she has "never seen anything like this in 30 years of doing criminal law ... At 10:10 a.m. I signed a warrant (for Secaucus Police to seize the three dogs). At 1 o' clock we have another incident in Hoboken, and this time a dog victim."

"Your dogs deserved better than this," were Boylan's final words to Braxton as she closed court Tuesday.

Hudson County Prosecutor argued the dogs should be put down

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Brenden Brower argued the three dogs should be euthanized. In his prosecution of the case, Brower told the court how a married couple from upstate New York, and staying at the Red Roof, were attacked by the three dogs. The dogs are Cane Corsos, which are Italian guard dogs.

It was shortly before 8:30 p.m. Feb. 16, when the man and woman were walking in the Red Roof Inn parking lot with their two children. Braxton was staying in a room in the motel when his three dogs ran out. With no provocation or warning, they ran at the couple and attacked them, dragging the woman to the ground first, said the assistant prosecutor.

When her husband went to help her, he was taken down by the dogs as well and the dogs "lunged for his head and his neck," said the prosecutor.

"The attack was unprovoked; it was extremely aggressive and it was a prolonged assault," said Brower. "Especially the face and arms of the man (name redacted). He will be permanently disfigured with deep lacerations and long-term scars ... The scars on his face are not going away. It is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life."

The man and woman were rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center for severe injuries to their face and body. They were asked if they wanted to appear in Secaucus town court Tuesday, but they declined, said the assistant prosecutor.

"They want to put this behind them," he said.

"I want them declared vicious," Brower told the judge, as he summarized his prosecution. "The legal definition of vicious is if a person suffers serious bodily injury or death ... The court must find that they are potentially dangerous. There is a very strong case to make that they are vicious and must be put down. The state is concerned if these dogs are re-homed, this will happen again. And certainly it did, a day later, in Hoboken."

Two days after the Secaucus attack, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, three Cane Corsos belonging to the same owner got out of a car near the Hoboken ShopRite (900 Madison Street) and attacked two dog walkers walking eight other dogs. They attacked a Bernadoodle named Frank, and caused severe damage to his throat, said police. The pet Bernadoodle survived.

Hudson County humane officer testifies

Hudson County humane officer Jeffrey Santini, who responded to corral the dogs in Secaucus, also gave his testimony Tuesday.

The humane officer said in his opinion the dogs could not be re-homed, and there is a strong chance they will seriously injure somebody again, or kill a person.

"They cannot be re-homed," said Santini. "The temperament of these dogs; the bites they did —"

He said he was not present for the Red Roof attack, but he saw video and "the way they attacked the Asian couple at the Red Roof — I’ve seen dogs bite, and let go. These dogs attacked like they wanted to hurt, maim or kill."

After the humane officer testified, Braxton told the judge:

"It’s obvious he has his own opinion of the dogs. I have plenty of people who are willing to adopt the dogs because of this unfortunate situation."

"I know the courts are gonna put my dogs down already," said Braxton. "I don't trust (the humane officer)," he added.

Six photos of the couple's injuries were shown to the court. Judge Boylan said seeing the injuries helped convince her the dogs should be euthanized. She said she also watched video of the attack outside the Red Roof Inn.

"This man will forever look in the mirror and see the scars of your three dogs," said the judge.

Braxton has criminal charges pending in Hudson County Superior Court: He was arrested last week and charged with second-degree aggravated assault and two counts of endangering. He is currently out of jail, but Braxton is not allowed to own any animals until the criminal charges against him are resolved.

In total, Braxton had six Cane Corsos, three of which he surrendered to the Jersey City Animal Shelter. The other three are being held at the Secaucus Animal Shelter.

The fate of his other three Cane Corsos are unknown. It is only the three involved in the Secaucus attack that will be euthanized.

Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said previously he thinks Braxton was breeding the Cane Corsos to sell.

Prior reporting:

2 Children Present In Secaucus Cane Corso Dog Attack, Police Say

Dog Owner Arrested In Attacks At Hoboken ShopRite And Secaucus Hotel

Cops Seize Dogs In Attacks At North Jersey Hotel And Supermarket, Police Say