Another UWS Dog Mauled: Off-Leash Pit Bull Attacks Shih Tzu–Chihuahua Mix in Riverside Park

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A family was left traumatized after a brown, off-leash pit bull came running down the entrance to Riverside Park at 83rd Street and attacked Forrest — a 13-pound Shih Tzu–Chihuahua mix — clamping its jaws around his neck and right eye as he lay sleeping. Forrest was leashed and in his owner’s care, resting on the grass as the family watched their two daughters, ages 6 and 8, play nearby.

“So there’s a big hematoma in the eye, which is what’s causing the blindness right now, according to the ophthalmologist,” said Jennifer Busse, Forrest’s owner. “I’m devastated about my dog’s injuries, but my children were there with me, and they’re traumatized. They’re waking up in the night screaming — I’m not exaggerating.” Busse said her children attend nearby P.S. 87, which she described as a very supportive community. Guidance counselors are working with them, but for now, the kids don’t want to go back to the park.

Busse said she didn’t see the off-leash dog — in a harness but unattended — before it suddenly jumped on Forrest and began biting his face and neck. “She bit my hand during the struggle, and I have several cuts and bruises on my legs from the attack.” As her two daughters looked on in audible panic, Busse screamed and fought to keep the pit bull from shaking Forrest, which could have broken his neck. In total, the struggle lasted about eight minutes, during which Busse attempted a jaw thrust to release the dog’s grip.

A female Riverside Park employee heard the screams and rushed to help Busse and Forrest, carrying what appeared to be a jug of water — or possibly a cleaning solution. “I see her there all the time. I know this lady,” Busse recalled. The maintenance worker told Busse to step back, then poured the liquid over the pit bull’s head. “The dog immediately backed up and jumped off,” said an emotional Busse, recounting the terrifying moment.

The Riverside Park staffer then grabbed the dog and waited for police, while Busse rushed Forrest to the West Side Veterinary Center, two blocks away on West 83rd Street. She left a statement with another woman on the scene.

“She needs, like, a medal of honor or something — she was such a boss,” Busse said. “She went in and just was like, ‘She was not having any of that.”

Forrest suffered 14 puncture wounds and lost vision in his right eye, which had popped out during the attack. “West Side Veterinary Center told me to go to the emergency ophthalmologist at 52nd Street — the Veterinary Eye Center — but on our way, my dog’s breathing worsened, so we went to the Animal Medical Center instead,” Busse said. “There, Forrest was stabilized before we were urgently redirected to the ophthalmologist in an effort to save his eye.”

Still without vision in his right eye, Forrest is now on several medications for his injuries. Busse says bills have already exceeded $2,000, and she expects them to reach $4,000 “by the end of all of this.” If Forrest ends up needing surgery on his eye, that procedure could cost around $10,000, she noted.

Fortunately, Busse carries pet insurance through Nationwide. “Thank God,” she said. “My premiums are going to go up, though. That’s not good — but at least I have insurance through work.”

Busse was told the pit bull is up to date on her rabies vaccine. Since Busse is current on her Tdap shot, she didn’t need any additional vaccinations, but she was prescribed antibiotics for the bite on her hand and scratches on her legs.

An NYPD spokesperson told us, “Upon arrival, officers observed an unleashed dog that had attacked another dog.” The officers secured the unleashed dog and transported it to Animal Care Centers of NYC – Manhattan. Busse followed up with a crime analysis sergeant at the 20th Precinct, who wrote that they were sorry about her ordeal but were “unfortunately” unable to take action against the dog’s owner, who is allegedly homeless.

“You know, I often see homeless people sleeping with dogs for safety, recognizing it’s a form of protection,” Busse said. “I get it — but it hurts other people.”
ILTUWS:

In 2020, a 7-year-old girl was mauled by a pit bull at 79th Street and Broadway after she tried to give a homeless woman a dollar, ABC reported at the time. “The pit bull grabs her by the face and pulls her away. The woman doesn’t have control of the dog. That little girl is flopping around — I mean, it was awful,” said a witness.

A friend of Busse’s, Ruth Sinanian, discovered that the pit bull that attacked Forrest has a history of incidents and speculated that the owner might be living in Riverside Park. “The people in this neighborhood need to be aware of this dog and of the city’s inexcusable, incomprehensible practice of returning an unsafe dog to an owner who seems to do nothing about it,” she wrote to ILTUWS, expressing concern for the safety of her family — including elderly and young members — as well as for others in Riverside Park, especially near the playground. “This dog has done things like this before. The police or animal control take the dog away, put it on a ‘bite hold’ for 10 days, and then return it to its owner… something needs to be done.”

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Riverside Park rules state that dogs must be leashed with a leash no longer than six feet, except in designated dog areas, and owners must prevent their dogs from chasing other animals.

Sinanian noted that the situation with Forrest was strikingly similar to Penny, a chihuahua who was viciously attacked by a pit bull in May on Columbus Avenue. That incident has inspired a proposed state bill, known as “Penny’s Law,” which would hold negligent dog owners criminally accountable for their pets’ actions. Just days ago, Joe Columbus–the owner of the pit bulls who attacked Penny–was asked to surrender both of his dogs or face potential jail time. It appears as though Columbus missed the deadline, per this June 10 letter to the judge presiding over his case.

“There’s basically no enforcement for off-leash dogs, and dogs attacking humans and animals is not considered a crime,” said Busse, who wishes she had more information about the pit bull owner who attacked Forrest. However, she was able to get the dog’s name — Juliette — because the pit bull has a history of getting loose, and they’ve dealt with her before. “The owner had just reclaimed the dog on June 5th, last Thursday — just one day before Juliette attacked Forrest. “This is all told to me by animal control. That’s why I know this.”

With no enforcement for off-leash dogs — and dog attacks on humans and animals not currently considered a crime — Busse feels the NYPD is stuck, unable to take meaningful action in her case or in the broader context of dog attacks. While recent incidents have brought more attention to the issue, it’s a problem the city has historically treated as a low priority.

“If the dog is currently in the care of Animal Care and Control, they might make the decision to destroy the animal based on previous or past incidents similar to this one,” a sergeant from the 20th Precinct wrote to Busse in an email shared with ILTUWS. Busse has also been in contact with the Department of Health, which informed her that Juliette — the pit bull — will be released back to her owner on Monday, June 16. She fears the dog will get loose again. “People should be aware and watch out,” she said.

Forrest finally got to have a bath on June 11. The vet had initially advised against it to allow his 14 puncture wounds and injured eye time to heal. “He’s not covered in blood anymore and is feeling better,” Busse told us.

The family adopted Forrest when he was three years old from a rescue. “His name was Forrest because he used to love to run — they named him that,” Busse said, referencing the iconic Tom Hanks character in Forrest Gump. “Run, Forrest, run.”

One of Forrest’s “furry friends” even sent him a dog blanket. “Now he’s also starting to eat more and even tried to play with my kids a little today,” she said.

For a family still reeling from trauma, even that small moment feels like a major step in recovery. “I do hope that the more people talk about this, the more likely change will happen—and the safer we all will be,” said Busse.

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