STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Video obtained by the Advance appears to show that the owner of a black dog in Sunnyside that menaced the neighborhood last year did not adhere to a stipulation issued by the Department of Health.

The Advance previously reported that the dog was involved in two attacks, in September and October of 2018.

Following the attacks, the Advance reported that the Department of Health issued the owner of the dog a stipulation after the agency’s investigation.

The stipulation mandated that the Sunnyside dog be neutered (if not already), vaccinated for rabies, licensed (if not already), receive obedience training, and be leashed and muzzled in public.

In the video provided to the Advance by a neighbor, the dog is seen without a leash or muzzle as its owner trails behind him holding the leash in his hand. Two neighbors confirmed that it was the same dog and owner involved in the aforementioned attacks.

The neighbor who provided the video, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said she saw a “black blur” in the corner of her eye when she began to walk toward her front door.

The neighbor said she “stopped moving” for fear the animal would chase her if she ran toward her home. “I wouldn’t look at it,” she said.

The dog is seen barking at the woman before running around a parked car into the street.

Shortly after, as seen on the video, the owner of the dog follows behind, holding a dog leash in his hand. It is not clear if the dog got loose from the man’s home, prompting him to attempt to catch the dog; however, multiple residents in the area said that they have seen the dog outside without a leash.

“He’s cursing at the dog with his leash and collar in hand,” the neighbor said of the incident caught on video.

As a dog owner herself, along with being a dog groomer and trainer, the neighbor said the owner of the black dog, which the Advance previously reported as being a pit bull, cannot adequately control the animal.

“It’s way too much dog for him,” she said.

As a result of the black dog being left off the leash, she said her family is now extremely cautious when they bring their own pets outside.

“I feel like a prisoner in our own house,” she said.

A second neighbor, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said he commonly sees the black dog without a leash, and has never witnessed the dog wearing a muzzle in public.

“Nothing has changed” since the Department of Health issued a stipulation to the owner, the neighbor said. “The only thing that’s changed is that no one has been attacked again.”

Yet, still, he fears the possibility of another attack.

“It’s a high traffic area...If he’s outside with kids coming and going, it’s possible,” the neighbor said.

The Advance observed the man walking his dog on at least two occasions with a leash, but without a muzzle on the dog on one of the occasions.

The Advance provided the above video to the Department of Health.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the agency could not comment on the video because there is an active and ongoing investigation.

“We encourage Staten Islanders to report dog bites to their medical provider, the NYPD or to 311,” the spokesman said. “DOHMH contacts victims and provides recommendations for rabies testing and rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. We also conduct bite investigation and follow up with pet owners, requiring them to meet specific conditions to prevent future bites and to compel responsible dog ownership.”

A TROUBLING PREDICAMENT

With the highest bite rate in Staten Island, as the Advance previously reported, the workload for the Department of Health is heavy.

In an interview with the Department of Health, the Advance learned that the nearly 5,000 dog bite reports that are filed annually in New York City are handled by a team of only six.

While not every report becomes a full dangerous dog investigation, the animal bite unit faces an immense amount of responsibility in assessing the risk of an animal to the public.

“We’re investigating circumstances, we’re interviewing the bite victim, collecting statements, interviewing the dog owner, requesting medical records, and if there’s a police report that was made, we will get a copy of those as well," said Norma Torres, the director of the Office of Veterinary Public Health Service for the Department of Health.

Mario Merlino, the assistant commissioner of pest control services for the Department of Health, said “The workload is high,” for the team of six. “It’s a small unit that’s busy all the time,” he said.

Dog bite investigations that end in an owner being found at fault result in a stipulation, just as the Sunnyside dog owner received.

These stipulations outline “conditions” that enable the Department of Health to ensure the dog will not pose a danger to nearby residents.

“We don’t want a dog that is attacking without provocation to be walking down the streets,” Torres said.

However, the compliance with these stipulations can range. Torres said the unit has had owners disagree with the presented stipulation, but it often it is only a minor change in the terms of the specific conditions in the agreement.

To ensure a stipulation has been upheld, the Department of Health performs unannounced inspections and requires dog owners to provide documentation that actions, such as neutering and vaccination, have been completed. It is currently unclear if the Department of Health witnessed a stipulation violation in this case.

If the conditions of the agreement are not satisfied, the dog should be surrendered to a shelter, the stipulation specifies, Torres says.

The owner of the black dog did not answer the door at his Renwick Avenue home for comment on Sunday, and he does not have a phone number listed on public records.

After his dog allegedly attacked two individuals last year, the man told an Advance reporter, “They accuse me, so what?”

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