Dog Bite Victim Files Charges After Surgery from Injuries

From the Putnam County Sheriff's Department:

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports that charges have been filed against the owner of a  Wednesday.  The victim, a 54-year-old woman, was hospitalized and had to undergo surgery for injuries suffered in the attack.    

The victim was walking her pet dog on a leash along Lake Shore Road in the Roaring Brook area of Putnam Valley at about 1:50 P.M. on Wednesday when a loose dog, described as a bull mastiff mixed-breed, reportedly came from the front yard of its owner’s residence and attacked the woman’s pet. 

The woman’s dog suffered bite wounds to its hindquarters and legs.  When the woman tried to fend off the attacking dog, it reportedly bit her on the calf of her left leg. 

Responding sheriff’s deputies secured the animals and summoned the Putnam Valley Ambulance Corps to aid the victim, who was taken by the ambulance to in Cortlandt, where she was admitted.  She underwent surgery on her leg and was released from the hospital today (Thursday).    The victim’s injured dog was treated by a veterinarian. 

The Sheriff’s Office identified the owner of the attacking dog as Mr. John Nikaj, aged 18, of 367 Lake Shore Road in Putnam Valley.  He was cited for three violations of the Putnam Valley Town Code: for permitting a dog to run at large, for allowing a dog to injure a person, and for allowing a dog to injure a domestic animal.   Mr. Nikaj was issued an appearance ticket directing him to answer the charges in Putnam Valley Town Court on August 30^th at 9:30 A.M. ###

APPROVED FOR RELEASE: Captain William J. McNamara

(Recipients of this News Release are advised, to the extent that pending criminal matters may be discussed herein, that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.)