Finally, some ruff justice.
A notorious pair of NYC pit bull mixes must be surrendered to the city, evaluated and possibly euthanized after they attacked three small dogs in two separate incidents — killing one, a Manhattan judge ruled this week.
If owner Joseph Columbus fails to turn over Rambo and Zooey — who mauled a chihuahua named Penny in May on the Upper West Side and attacked two Shih Tzu mixes, killing one, in January in Central Park — law enforcement can seize the animals, Judge Phaedra Perry-Bond decided Wednesday.
Columbus, 40, of the Upper West Side, must also pay for evaluations and training for Rambo and Zooey once they’re in “permanent” city custody and reimburse Lauren Block, the owner of Shih Tzus Grover and Chuckie, nearly $22,000 in veterinary bills, court papers show.
“The court reserves its right to make a finding for humane euthanasia, based upon the evaluations performed by ACC and/or [the city Health Department],” according to the decision.
Columbus has allegedly been evading authorities for months, and ducked out of his kid’s school graduation in June to avoid arrest, a city sheriff’s deputy claimed.
In June, Columbus failed to bring Zooey and the 100-pound Rambo to cops, and then refused to open his door or answer the phone when police showed up later to take them.
The attack on Penny, a 16-pound Chihuahua mix and service pooch, came about five months after the savage beasts attacked Grover and Chuckie — leaving the 17-year-old, 12-pound, blind Grover so seriously injured he had to be euthanized, court records showed.
Columbus was ordered to keep the dogs leashed and muzzled after the January attack but allegedly failed to do so, according to the judge.
“This week, justice prevailed,” said attorney Mollie Swears, who represents Block, and Penny’s owners Devon Allen and Lauren Claus.
Columbus could not be reached.
His attorney, who previously accused the victims of lying that the dogs had bitten a person as well, told The Post Columbus only owns Rambo — and gave him up when was sued by the victims in May.
“On the very first day that he appeared, he told the court he did not have the dogs. As far as I know, he still doesn’t,” insisted lawyer Ikiesha Al-Shabazz, claiming both she and Columbus were threatened and hit with racial slurs as the case made headlines.
He’s currently facing eviction from his grandmother’s Columbus Avenue apartment — where court records show Rambo and Zooey were accused in March of another incident.
“Dogs owned and controlled by … Joseph Columbus bit a dog owned by the tenants in PHA creating an unsafe environment and in which those tenants vacated,” the landlord wrote in court papers.
The dogs also caused “extreme damage,” chewing through kitchen cabinets, walls, floors and baseboards.
“The smell of urine in the unit was very evident,” the landlord claimed.
The eviction proceeding is ongoing. A lawyer for the landlord did not respond to a message.
Read the full article here
