To The Editor:

This letter is a follow up to my earlier letter about the event that took place in my neighborhood when our neighbor’s dog ran off of its property and attacked the mother-in-law of another one of our neighbors. Newtown’s policy is to quarantine a dog after such an attack for ten days at its home and then everything goes back to normal. But nothing went back to normal. The woman who was attacked is still going for physical therapy and can’t raise her arm above her elbow. Since the attack, over a year ago, we are not walking around the block as we had for 28 years. We no longer feel safe on our own block.

I called Animal Control, and got nowhere. I then called the First Selectman. And called him. And called him. When he finally called me back after several months, he told me the same thing: ten days quarantine in the dog’s house and then all goes back to normal.

He also told me that this was state law. If he had done a little bit of research, he would’ve found out that it is not state law, and that Newtown or any other town can change the ordinance to deal with a “dangerous dog”. Danbury, New Haven, and Hartford have all enacted “dangerous dog” ordinances.

Further, two weeks ago I sent our First Selectman a police report from when this family and this dog lived in Greenwich, and the very same dog attacked its owner’s father. It was a severe enough attack that they called the police and filed a report.

This dog is a menace in our neighborhood, and has a documented history of aggression and violence. Furthermore, Newtown can and should change its ordinance to accommodate dangerous dogs such as this one, the way other towns have. Does someone have to die before we take action?

Have I heard back from the First Selectman? No I have not. Do I believe that he will do something to protect my neighborhood? No I do not.

We need a First Selectman who will protect our town and each of our neighborhoods. It is obvious that this one will not. We need Bruce Walzack for First Selectman.

Please join me in voting for Bruce in November.

Lynn Hungaski

Newtown