Unauthorized animal transport at a Park Slope apartment building continues, even though three dogs were killed by a vicious mongrel during their stay, a dead dog victim said. The owners claimed that
“Everywhere I went, I was told there was nothing that could be done,” lamented one of the tragic dog's owners in Brooklyn, who gave only her first name, Lindsey, to the Post.
The dog's owner said 4-year-old mixed dog Penny was killed by the mutt in September at the boarding house after previously staying there for three years.
She said she thought Penny's death was a one-off until she contacted two other grieving dog owners through a flyer. she posted in the neighborhood.
More than 20 animal-related complaints against the doggy board business run by owner Jurga Stankeviciute Evans date back to at least 2019. According to the city's 311 records.
The NYPD responded to six complaints between March 2022 and October 3, 2024, and found that “there was no evidence of a violation at the time,” but most of the incident reports It was shut down within hours, if not minutes. City records show a complaint was filed.
“Harm or death of an animal by another animal is not a criminal matter,” an NYPD official told the Post when asked if the department's animal cruelty unit had investigated the business.
A representative said the owner must notify the city health department of the incident.
City officials said the health department had visited the address three times in the past due to concerns reported to 311, but they were unable to gain access and the owner did not respond to requests for an interview.
“Boarding facilities should be safe havens for pets and not places where pets can be put in harm's way,” a department official told the Post in a statement Monday.
“It is illegal to keep animals in a residence and there is no record of an animal handling facility permit associated with this location.
“To keep your pet safe and prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future, we urge New Yorkers to use licensed facilities and to call 311 if you become aware of an unlicensed facility. please.”
Alyssa Vladimir, a friend of the owner of Alby, a beloved 7-year-old long-haired Shih Tzu mix who was killed in an apartment after being attacked by another dog in February, told the Post. The city is a very dog-friendly place.
“But when it comes to actual protection, they have failed.”
Lindsey said a third dog, a female named Honey, also died while staying at the store in May.
She and Vladimir said friends of dog owners who lost their pets are still “too traumatized” to talk directly about their dogs' untimely deaths.
Several requests for comment from Stankevisiute Evans were not returned. A man who answered the door at her South Slope address declined comment Sunday.
Lindsey told the Post that the dog boarding business was popular by word of mouth in the neighborhood and was recommended to her by a former dog walker in 2021 as an affordable option.
She said she regularly took Penny to Stankevisiute Evans' apartment for overnight stays, but the dog handler returned to her home empty-handed.
“She said she left the dogs at 1 a.m. to do laundry and said, 'You separated the good dogs,'” Lindsey said management told her. “When she came back, Penny was attacked…and died.”
A subsequent autopsy report revealed that Penny's wounds did not puncture any major arteries or organs.
“It seemed like a very slow and painful death,” Lindsey said.
She said she was told by officers that the only viable option was to file a lawsuit in civil court.
“The system is completely inadequate,” she says.
