Vickie Tkacz was shocked Thursday night to find out that the Town of Oxford ordered two of her pet Newfoundlands destroyed.
State police and the Oxford Animal Control officer said the two dogs were among four Newfies who attacked and killed a Labrador mix at Jackson Cove Park July 26.
Town officials also said Tkacz, a Newfoundland breeder, hasn’t been cooperative during their investigation of the incident and claim Tkacz didn’t agree to the terms of a restraint order that would have seen the dogs back in her custody.
But Tkacz, who spoke publicly about the incident for the first time Friday, rejected those claims.
“I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to,” Tkacz said in a phone interview.
A copy of the agreement proposed by the town is posted below. Article continues after the document.
Click here to learn about the appeal process and another option available other than euthanasia.
Background
Town officials — including state police, the animal control officer and First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers — have different accounts of the dog fight and the ensuing investigation than Tkacz and her attorney, Ralph Crozier.
The town claims four of Tkacz’s Newfoundlands killed an 11-year-old Lab mix named Roxi in Jackson Cove Park July 26. Police said they have the incident on video.
Roxi’s owner, Patrick Severson, a 20-year-old part-time Oxford recreation employee, witnessed the attack and was bitten several times trying to break up the fight.
Tkacz claims two of her dogs were involved in the fight — and that two were merely present.
Jackson Cove was closed for a few days after the attack, because the town’s recreation director said she had no guarantees the dogs involved in the attack were in custody.
Here’s a score card of the Newfoundlands, which combines the police/town account with Tkacz’ account.
Isabelle: Pregnant female. 5 years old. Involved in attack. Sold to someone in New York immediately after the attack. Could be ordered destroyed if in Oxford.
Sophie: Pregnant female. 4 years old. Involved in attack. Sold to someone in New York immediately after. Could be ordered destroyed if in Oxford.
Charlie: Female. 5 years old. Owner says present during attack, but not involved. Town says participated in the attack. Quarantined. Ordered destroyed.
Dudley: Male. 3 years old. Owner says present during attack, but not involved. Town says participated in the attack. Quarantined. Ordered destroyed.
Sammy: Female. 2 years old. Nursing mother. Was quarantined, but not ordered destroyed.
Brynn: Female. No age provided. Nursing mother. Was quarantined, but not ordered destroyed.
Oxford First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers sent out a press release Thursday saying a town lawyer and Tkacz’ lawyer had worked out a consent order that would have seen the four quarantined dogs returned to Tkacz — if she signed the document agreeing to a number of strict provisions.
Drayton-Rogers said because Tkacz wasn’t cooperative, in the interest of public safety, two of the four quarantined dogs would be put down.
The Response
Tkacz said Friday she has been cooperative and even suggested injecting tracking chips into her dogs.
The release agreement would have also required the dogs to be muzzled and kept on Tkacz’s property.
Tkacz said the town was making last minute changes to the agreement on Thursday. She told her lawyer to go along with the changes.
“I said, ‘Ralph (her attorney), don’t fight it. I’ll sign whatever they want me to sign,’” Tkacz said. “I just want my dogs back.”
Drayton-Rogers said the deadline to agree to the release order was 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
But Tkacz said she didn’t receive the agreement to sign until Thursday afternoon, when she was in upstate New York, getting an affidavit from Oxford signed by the Newfies’ new owners.
Tkacz said when she received the e‑mailed agreement from her attorney Thursday, she printed it out, signed it and had it notarized at a bank in New York. She then had the bank fax it back to Crozier.
Crozier said he faxed the agreement — and the documentation about the two Newfoundlands in New York — to town attorney Fran Teodosio at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.
“They’re my kids,” Tkacz said about her dogs. “I’m sure Roxi was a kid (to her owners) too. And I feel horrible that they lost their dog. I really do.”
“I’m not fighting anybody,” Tkacz said. “I’m not being hostile.”
