Pit Bull Involved in Riverside Park Dog Attack Euthanized

Stemming from the Friday, June 6 dog attack in Riverside Park — where an off-leash brown Pit Bull named Juliette mauled a 13-year-old Shih Tzu–Chihuahua mix — ILTUWS has received confirmation that Juliette was euthanized on Friday.

“After careful consideration, we have determined that the dog involved in the June 6 incident poses a significant safety risk to people and other animals,” read a statement from an Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) spokesperson, shared with ILTUWS. “Unfortunately, due to the severity of the aggression and the danger she presents, we have made the difficult decision that she is not a candidate for placement.”

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The ACC added, “While these decisions are never easy, our responsibility is to ensure the safety of the public, our staff, and the animals in our care.” Juliette’s owner, who is allegedly homeless, had the opportunity to reclaim the dog but never did — a factor that ultimately led to Juliette’s euthanasia.

“I have to say, this is a devastating outcome for me. I’m extremely sad Juliette was put into this situation,” Jennifer Busse, the Shih Tzu–Chihuahua’s owner, wrote in an email to ILTUWS on Tuesday. “It’s just so unfair and extremely sad,” the Upper West Sider added, as rumors began circulating that Juliette might have already been euthanized.

Busse went on to say she feels the system for people managing their pets is broken, before closing with: “Anyway, at this point I’m now advocating for Forrest and Juliette. This should never have been possible to begin with.”

ILTUWS spoke with Busse on Friday after receiving confirmation of Juliette’s passing. Busse, a mother of two daughters aged 6 and 8, who witnessed the horrifying attack on their dog Forrest, described how she fought to protect Forrest by performing jaw thrusts and preventing Juliette from shaking her dog — a movement that could have broken Forrest’s neck.

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After roughly eight minutes, a Riverside Park employee heard the screams and rushed over, ultimately saving the day by dumping a jug of water — or possibly cleaning solution — on the Pit Bull, causing it to release its grip. She then grabbed the dog as Busse rushed Forrest to urgent care, where doctors said he had suffered 14 puncture wounds and had gone blind in his right eye, which had popped out during the attack.

In our original breaking story, Busse said of the park employee, “She needs, like, a medal of honor or something — she was such a boss.”

When asked how her daughters have been coping since the attack on their pet, Busse, who works in anesthesia, said she’s fortunate to have colleagues at work who have been advising her on how to handle the aftermath. Her girls, she said, do not want to go back to the park.

“They’re like child psychiatrists and said it’s not critical to tell them that the dog is dead,” Busse explained. Instead, they suggested using phrasing like, ‘She’s not going to come back and hurt you.’

“But they’re little, you know, six and eight. I think they’re young enough to just say, ‘Okay, well, my mom says it’s okay, so I can trust her,’” Busse said sensitively. “I didn’t feel like it was necessary to tell them — I think it would actually make them really sad.”

Today, Busse said the news brings her some closure, though she tries not to dwell on the attack, knowing it could send her spiraling into a rabbit hole of what-ifs.

“Like, if we hadn’t gone to the park that day, this wouldn’t have happened… It’s easy to relive these sorts of things — they’re traumatic. But you can’t live like that. You’ve got to put it in the hurt locker and move on. You have to. There’s no other choice.”

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Busse also thanked Shula Puder, chief of staff to City Councilmember Gale Brewer. ILTUWS had been in contact with Brewer’s office since our original story published, and a spokesperson confirmed they had already been actively working on the matter. On Friday, when ILTUWS alerted Brewer’s office to the news about Juliette, Councilmember Brewer issued the following statement:

“My goal is to improve the way city government responds to dog attacks and prevents them from happening again. New Yorkers need a straightforward way to report incidents, and the city agencies involved — the Department of Health and the NYPD — must respond in a coordinated manner and communicate with victims. My role in recent incidents has been facilitating communication between all parties and, at the same time, pursuing legislation to formalize the process.”

In May, a Chihuahua named Penny was violently attacked by a Pit Bull on Columbus Avenue — an incident that led to the introduction of a proposed state bill known as “Penny’s Law,” which would hold negligent dog owners criminally accountable for their pets’ actions. The attack brought renewed attention to the issue of dangerous dog incidents citywide. On June 13, a warrant was issued for Joe Columbus, the owner of the two Pit Bulls involved, Rambo and Zooey. The warrant remains outstanding. Columbus was ordered to surrender both dogs or face potential jail time.

“These kinds of things happen, but hopefully people will sort of take them seriously and say, you know, even though I have this animal and am mostly responsible, some people just say whatever, those are the moments when the bad things can happen,” said Busse.

We got an update on Forrest, too. We’re told the little guy is settling down and is now on fewer medications. He’s still blind in his right eye, but he’s not letting it slow him down — and we hear he’s even started playing with the two daughters again.

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