East Providence Man Summoned to Vicious Dog Hearing

A vicious-dog hearing involving a boxer/pit bull mix that appears to have been abandoned at Barrington's animal shelter by an East Providence man has been scheduled for next Monday morning, Oct. 31.

"We have made numerous attempts to contact the dog owner per state law with negative results," said ACO John Duffy of the Barrington Police Department.

Police Chief John LaCross added that the dog's owner, Kevin J. Wong, of 34 Whittaker St., East Providence, has not shown up to take possession of the dog after it was caged there after the incident. It is being cared for by the shelter.

Wong has been sent a summons several times and police officers have attempted to contact him in person to appear in front of a panel at 8:45 a.m. on the second floor of the Barrington Public Safety Building.

Duffy said the hearing will be convened for the purpose of determining whether the dog, 'Paco', involved in an incident last July 28, should be declared vicious.

The victim of the incident, Candice Smith, of 22 Houghton St., Barrington, also has been sent a summons to appear at the hearing, he said.

Smith suffered injuries to her elbows and back when she and a cockappo were attacked by a boxer that jumped out of a parked car while she was walking.

Police said she pulled the cockapoo up into her arms to try to protect it. But the boxer grabbed the smaller dogs rear legs and pulled it and the woman to the ground. Wong, who was visiting family on Vermont Street, managed to separate the two dogs, police said.

The cockapoo was taken to an emergency veterinarian, who euthanized it after determining that the dog's legs were too severely injured. Smith was taken to an urgent care facility to be treated for cuts and bruises.

The boxer was taken into custody by police and put in quarantine in East Providence for 10 days. Its rabies vaccination was current at that time.

Vicious dog-hearing panel members include Police Chief John M. LaCross; Joseph Warzycha of the Rhode Island SPCA, and William Muggle of the East Providence Animal Control Office.