Hotel Founder Attempted to Set Two Dogs on Fire in SoHo, Witnesses Say

SOHO, NY — Police told Patch they are investigating an incident on Friday afternoon in SoHo where a man, who witnesses told the New York Post was hotelier Vikram Chatwal, tried to set two dogs on fire. A female dog-walker was walking two dogs in front of 21 Wooster St. at around 1:30 p.m. when the incident occurred, the NYPD told Patch.

Witnesses identified the attacker as Chatwal to the New York Post. The attacker approached the woman and the two dogs and got into an argument with the dog-walker, the NYPD told Patch. He then pulled out an aerosol can and tried to burn the dogs, who suffered minor burns and hair loss, the NYPD said.

The investigation was still ongoing as of Monday evening, and no one was under arrest, the NYPD said.

Witnesses told the Post that Chatwal said the dogs had fleas and so they needed to be destroyed. "They must die!" he yelled at the dog-walker before burning them, according to bystanders.

New York animal rescue groups, among others, are up in arms. "We can't tolerate this kind of insanity on our streets!" Second Chance Rescue NYC wrote in a Facebook post Monday.

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