German Shepherd Kills Papillon; Everyone Mourns

Sandi Radford was in Florida when it happened, but her neighbor, Donna Carlson, saw the whole thing.

Radford’s papillon, KD, was out in the yard the neighboring houses share.

Queenie, a German shepherd who had been let out in error, climbed the 4-foot-high gate around the yard, caught the little dog and shook it.

Carlson ran out of her house, and grabbed the shepherd by the collar. The shepherd dropped KD.

Carlson was screaming when Cheryl Robishaw pulled up in her car and put Queenie in it.

There were no marks on the papillon. There was no blood. But when Carlson reached out to touch KD, the dog bit her.

Clearly, Carlson says, something was terribly, terribly wrong.

QUEENIE, THE GERMAN SHEPHERD who belongs to Robert and Cheryl Robishaw of 109 Connecticut Ave., was supposed to be tied up in the Robishaws’ fenced yard. Though Queenie is what Robishaw describes as "petite," weighing 64 pounds, she could climb the fence around their yard, if she wasn't tied.

But that morning, Queenie had gotten out.

“My mother,” Cheryl Robishaw said, “who has dementia, opened up the back door to look at a bird and Queenie went out. It’s one of these unfortunate accidents that happens.”

When Carlson saw Queenie shaking KD, she called animal control. By the time Animal Control Officer Chris Martel arrived at the pound, Robishaw was already there with Queenie, very upset.

She told Martel that Queenie had never gone after another dog, that she got along well with small dogs. Her best friend for years had been a Chihuahua.

“There’s never been another incident like this one,” Robishaw said.

EVEN THOUGH KD was not bleeding, even though there were no puncture marks on her, she was in bad shape. Her abdominal wall had torn, and her intestines were spilling through. Her lungs were bruised.

KD’s local vet felt recommended that KD be taken to Ocean State Veterinary Hospital in Rhode Island, where she could receive 24-hour care and attention from veterinary specialists.

Radford agreed, and KD was taken to Ocean State. Before the veterinary hospital had even gotten the OK from Radford, she said, the veterinarians had started the first operation.

It was not enough.

KD had a second operation.

It was still not enough.

Radford – who was stuck in Florida, waiting for the auto train – was given a choice. A third operation, or have KD put down.

She chose the latter. Chose to have her dog put out of pain.

KD “had never lived in a cage of been away from home,” Radford said. “I couldn’t put her through another surgery.”

RADFORD CRIED WHEN she talked about KD. She and the little dog had a very special relationship always, and especially in this last year. Radford’s husband died in August, and KD was “actually what got me through the last nine months,” Radford said.

The dog “was spoiled rotten,” Radford said. After she died, Radford went into a depression, not talking to anyone, not seeing anyone, for days.

The $8,000 she spent to try to save KD came from her husband’s life insurance money.

“It’s expensive,” Radford said. “But when you take on a dog…

“She was not just a pet, she was part of my family."

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER Martel did not quarantine Queenie.

Quarantine, she said, is mandatory when a dog bites a human, but not when a dog bites a dog. The shepherd didn’t puncture the papillon’s skin, she said, and  had no history of being a threat to humans. Both dogs were up to date on vaccinations.

Martel didn’t fine Queenie’s owners. She did order them to put an invisible fence on their property, and that is an order that will follow Queenie for the rest of her days, whether she remains with the Robishaws or not. Robishaw said Queenie also is to be muzzled whenever other dogs are present.

“I’d rather see a solution,” Martel said. “An infraction is not always the answer.

“Where do you draw the line? Dogs have fights,” she said. “Shepherds have a prey drive,” meaning that many of them instinctually go after small animals.  Robishaw said Queenie had been known to chase stray cats in the neighborhood.

"It's a tragic situation," said Montville Mayor Ron McDaniel. "I feel awful about it. I reviewed the case, and feel that the animal control officer took appropriate actions... If my dog did something like that, I'd feel awful."

“The (Robishaws) have been pretty cooperative,” Martel said. “I wanted the situation resolved. I thought it was more prudent to get them to spend their money on a fence and vet bills.”

YES, VET BILLS. According to state law, the Robishaws are responsible for the $8,000-plus of medical attention KD received before she died. KD was Radford’s property, and according to Connecticut law 22-357:

“If any dog does any damage to either the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper, or, if the owner or keeper is a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor, shall be liable for such damage…”

The Robishaws have installed the invisible fence. Robishaw said she intends to pay the vet bills, in installments, from her mother’s account.

“If (my mother) remembered what she did and what she caused,” Robishaw said, “she would actually be in tears. She would tell me to take a payment out of her account to correct the situation.”

ROBISHAW CRIED WHEN she talked about Queenie.

“She’s gone from a dog who could go out to being a dog who has to be on a leash in an electronic fence inside a fence. She can’t even go to obedience class. Can’t even be around other dogs without a muzzle on. It’s hard to teach a dog in an obedience class with a muzzle on."

And though Radford loves dogs, and worked rescuing animals for 12 years, she believes that Queenie should be put down. She believes Queenie is dangerous to small dogs on leashes and in yards.

“They need to tighten the rules on when you can put a dog down,” she said. “(The Robishaw family) was not even given a ticket.”