Atlantic Highlands dog attack: Owner charged after two canines assail another dog, owner

Andrew J. Goudsward | Asbury Park Press

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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - A borough woman is facing charges after two of her dogs charged out of an open front door and attacked another dog and its owner out for a walk on East Highland Avenue Monday, police said.

The dogs involved were seized by animal control officers after the attack, which was at least the third time the dogs have been involved in an altercation in the neighborhood in the last six months, borough police said in a Facebook post.

The most recent incident happened at 4:12 p.m. Monday when the dogs ran out of the home and attacked a leashed dog and its owner, according to police.

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"The attack resulted in the two dogs attempting to bite the leashed dog's neck before being broken apart by the owner of the leashed dog," according to the Facebook post. "There did not appear to be any injuries sustained at that time."

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Patrolman Adam Gurian and Patrolman Travis Sodon responded and the officers determined the dogs belonged to Marguerit Zamfotis, 59.

Zamfotis was issued borough summonses for "dogs running at large" and "seizure and disposition of dogs" and faces a state charge of possessing potentially dangerous dogs, police said.

Those same dogs were out in the neighborhood Nov. 4 when one dog attacked and bit another dog in the area, police said. Police issued summonses in connection with that attack.

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In June, the dogs were involved in a "dog-on-human attack" that injured one person, according to the post.

Officers with the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized and impounded the dogs under a borough ordinance that allows authorities to hold dogs deemed after vicious after being involved in multiple attacks on other dogs or humans.

A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Jan. 14 at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Court.

Andrew Goudsward covers crime and breaking news. A lifelong native of the Jersey Shore, he won a New Jersey Press Association award for best new journalist in 2018. Contact him at agoudsward@gannettnj.com, 732-897-4555 or @AGoudsward on Twitter.