Owner of Dog on Death Row: Guilford Taxpayers Have Spent $35,000

GUILFORD, CT - A man who is fighting to get his dog off death row is claiming the town of Guilford has spent $35,000 of taxpayer money in the legal battle against Simon, the dog currently locked up at the Guilford Police Animal Shelter.

“Using the Freedom Of Information Act, we discovered that the Guilford Town Council has spent in excess of $35,000 in legal fees fighting to keep a local family’s dog who from ever seeing freedom,” said Thom Page, attorney for Dr. David Young, Simon’s owner.

“If I was a taxpayer, I would be super angry and think they could spend this money better. For example, education, veterans, parks, etc.” said Mark Goldman, spokesperson for "Simon.”

Young is appealing the town's decision to the state that the dog be euthanized after biting a teenager. Currently, Simon is locked up at the Guilford Police Animal Shelter, awaiting the outcome of an appeal hearing in front of the state Department of Agriculture.

Young and his lawyer has now filed a motion against the state seeking a court hearing on his “First Amendment” rights being violated.

In the motion against the state, Simon’s owner states what’s even more troubling is “the commissioner and/or his staff engaged in an extended ex party meeting with the town (Guilford) attorneys demonstrating the commisioner’s lack of impartiality required to decided the appeal (to lift the euthanasia order against Simon).”

The court motion asks that the commissioner and the department’s be qualified from any further participation in deciding Simon’s fate.

It also asks for sanctions.

The incident that caused Simon to be removed from Young's home dates back nearly a year, to August 2017.

A police report states that Simon bit and chased a 13-year-old neighbor who entered Young's yard with a lacrosse stick to retrieve his ball. The boy needed stitches.

Young says that Simon was just protecting his property.

But the police report said Simon had another incident, this time with another dog, six months earlier. The report also cited complaints from several neighbors who claimed they walk the neighborhood with sticks because Simon gets out of the yard.

Young has refuted those reports.

Young, Page, and a band of Simon's supporters who habitually attend selectmen meetings, believe First Selectman Matt Hoey has the authority to get Simon off "death row."

The decision to euthanize the dog was made before Hoey became first selectman. The decision, which has been on hold for almost a year, was made after hearings by the Guilford Police Department and its animal control officer after the boy was bit last August.

The decision was made by after hearing testimony from Young, the bite victim, neighbors of Young, and police reports were reviewed.