Selectmen fear censorship at Saugus TV

Home > News City to appeal decision allowing pit bull accused in attack to stay in neighborhood Originally Published on Friday, September 07, 2012 By Cyrus Moulton / The Daily Item

LYNN A Fenton Avenue couple say they fear for their safety after a court hearing officer ruled a pit bull could stay in their neighborhood, even though the animal mauled their leashed shih tzu and its master.

In our court, we decided that a pit bull was more important than a 74-year-old man whos been hurt, Susanne Reynolds, a former longtime Lynn Public Schools teacher, said Wednesday of her injured husband, Jack, a retired Lynn principal. I had the leashed dog. It came on my property and did damage. If it were a human being, it would have been arrested.

Meanwhile, the city plans to appeal the decision by Lynn District Court Clerk Magistrate Stephen Borelli.

There were no reasons given for ruling, city attorney Vin Phelan said Thursday. Typically we dont lose these.

A woman who answered the door at the pit bull owners home declined to comment Wednesday. Nor could attorney Stephen Wise, who represented the owner, be reached Thursday. Borelli could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Susanne and Jack Reynolds said Wednesday that they and their 14-pound shih tzu, Oreo, were getting into their car at noon on May 12 to put flowers on their parents graves for Mothers Day.

Jack Reynolds said he opened the back door when the neighbors pit bull ran down their driveway, jumped into the back seat of the car and began attacking Oreo.

Jack Reynolds said he threw both of his arms around the pit bulls neck and used his body weight to hold the dog, which he estimated weighed between 70 to 90 pounds, for nearly half an hour as they waited for police to arrive. Susanne Reynolds was meanwhile screaming for help.

I ran across the street and heard Susanne outside screaming my husbands dead, neighbor Jannel Vickers recalled. She told me, My husbands dead in the car, and he was motionless trying to hold the dog. Oreo looked at me and his eye was hanging out.

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Selectmen fear censorship at Saugus TV