Witness: Owner of dog responsible for deadly attack left scene




FATAL ENCOUNTER—Animal control officers are looking into a dogon dog attack that happened Jan. 24 at Newbury Gateway Park. RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

FATAL ENCOUNTER—Animal control officers are looking into a dog-on-dog attack that happened Jan. 24 at Newbury Gateway Park. RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

To Jessica Cherkowski, her son and daughter-in-law’s Pomeranians, Whiskey and Fabio, were like family.

“I don’t have any grandkids, so they are my grandkids,” the 71-year-old Thousand Oaks resident said.

That’s why she nearly breaks down talking about a Jan. 24 off-leash dog attack at Newbury Park’s Gateway Park that resulted in Whiskey’s death.

Cherkowski routinely walked the littermates on Saturdays and Sundays at the park on Michael Drive and was dog-sitting that Thursday in January. She went to the park about 4 p.m.

“They were on their leashes and walking right beside my foot,” she said. “All of a sudden, I heard some rustling and I turned around and saw a big dog.”

The 5-foot, 3-inch Cherkowski bent to scoop up the 5- and 7-pound dogs but wasn’t fast enough. Before she knew it, a large dog she described as a German shepherd-type had Whiskey in its mouth. Fabio’s leash slipped out of her hand as she fell over the back of the attacking dog.

GRIM ENDING— Whiskey, a Pomeranian, did not survive. Courtesy photo

GRIM ENDING— Whiskey, a Pomeranian, did not survive. Courtesy photo

After getting to her feet, Cherkowski said, she tried to free Whiskey from the dog’s clenched teeth. She suffered a gash on her face requiring stitches.

Eventually the large dog let go.

“Two people who were nearby rushed to my aid,” she said. “I picked up Whiskey and one of the ladies picked up Fabio. They put me in the car and rushed me to the vet, where they pronounced Whiskey dead.”

Cherkowski said she was so hysterical she didn’t even notice blood was running down her face.

The owner of the offending canine left the park without speaking to anyone or leaving her information, said Kanwal Mahal, Cherkowski’s daughter-in-law and Whiskey’s owner.

“The witnesses said she just went back to her SUV, let her dog into the back and left,” Mahal said.

Now the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is looking into the attack. The City of Thousand Oaks contracts with the agency for animal control services.

Because the investigation is ongoing, the department has declined to discuss the matter, but Mahal said it has been provided surveillance video provided by a sports bar across the street from the park.

In that footage, viewed by the Acorn, a dark-haired woman identified by witnesses as the owner of the dog that killed Whiskey can be seen walking a German shepherd on a leash. At one point in the video, the woman appears to remove the leash.

Since getting the video from Azars Sports Bar and Grill, Mahal has been distributing flyers in Newbury Park, hoping to identify the woman.

“Kids play in the park,” she said. “This could have been a little kid. The whole point in finding her is so the dog doesn’t do it again.”

Despite her anger, Mahal said she does not want the animal euthanized.

“It doesn’t know it did anything wrong. It’s instinct,” she said. “But it should be muzzled when it goes out in public and maybe don’t take them to these kinds of places. What she did is illegal.”

Jim Friedl, general manager of the Conejo Recreation and Park District, said the woman violated two rules: having her dog off-leash and leaving the scene.

“It’s like when you’re driving and hit someone,” he said. “When you know your animal caused damage, you can’t just ignore that.”

Los Angeles County code 11.04.230 requires owners to report bites to animal control. Thousand Oaks law regarding animals defaults to L.A. County law unless a subject is specifically addressed by the city’s codes.

Friedl said this is the first time in his 15 years with CRPD he’s heard of a dog killing another dog in a local park.

“We love our dogs, but the fact is they are not totally and entirely predictable,” he said. “We do have these leash laws for a reason.”

Anyone with information about the incident can call animal control at (818) 991-0071.

Cherkowski and Mahal aren’t the only ones grieving for Whiskey. Fabio is having a hard time too.

“He is so traumatized,” Cherkowski said. “He saw the whole thing and now he’s looking for his brother everywhere.”