Residents from the Windsor Mews community expressed concerns and frustration to township council at its May 23 meeting about an aggressive dog that recently bit a resident and service member and violently attacked his roommate’s puppy.
Council heard residents recall blood-curdling screams and said it took one neighbor using pepper spray on the offending animal to end an attack that left the puppy with severe injuries. Multiple neighbors were said to have reached out during the incident to county animal control and police, who arrived around 15 minutes later.
“Had that dog attacked someone in our community my age, or God forbid a child, I would be telling you that someone had been killed,” said Valerie Katz, Windsor Mews Homeowner Association President. “It took us two days to get that dog removed.”
The incident was not the first time the offending dog attacked another. Neighbors said that there had been a 2020 court order for the canine to be on a leash with a muzzle, and they asked council to consider an ordinance with stricter guidance on animal control.
Police Chief Robert Kempf said the attacking dog was currently in quarantine with county animal control and that his department continues to investigate the incident.
“Our detectives are working diligently with the prosecutor’s office and animal control to determine the appropriate charges, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that we can restore some peace to the neighborhood,” he said.
The pup’s owner, Nick Denny, has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for its medical treatment at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cheddar-fund.
Other residents had questions at the meeting on homeowner responsibility regarding permits for tree removals and contributions to the tree fund as part of an ordinance introduced in March. The ordinance is designed to create more tangible measures for tree replacement when commercial or residential trees are taken down. A public hearing previously scheduled for May 23 will now take place at the June 13 council meeting.
“The extension of time from meeting to meeting is in direct response to the requests of residents who have asked in good faith to be able to provide their input from colleagues and professional staff to weigh in on it, because we did not want to rush it,” explained Council President David Fleisher.
“The product that we have (now) has come a long way to becoming a quality ordinance.”
In other news:
- Council recognized June 3 as National Gun Violence Prevention Day in support of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
- Mayor Susan Shin Angulo recognized the loss of Camden County police officer and Cherry Hill West graduate Daniel Adler, a 22-year-old who lost his life in a May motorcycle accident.
The next council meeting will be held June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
