A dog that killed its 75-year-old owner and badly injured the owner’s son in Astoria last month has been euthanized, according to an Animal Care Center (ACC) spokesperson.
The dog, a mastiff named Boss, attacked its owner Louise Hermida on Feb. 13 in her home at 38th Street and 27th Avenue. Hermida was rushed to NewYork Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital where she died of her injuries.
Her 39-year-old son Daniel Ferrero, who is autistic, was also bit in the leg. According to the Daily News, the 160 pound mastiff and Great Dane mix was fighting with another dog in the house when Hermida tried to break it up. The owner frequently took in stray dogs, Ferrero told the paper.
Katy Hansen, spokesperson for ACC, said Boss was adopted from a center in 2011 when he was 1. After the incident, Boss was transported to an ACC location and on Feb. 17 he experienced Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), DNAinfo reported. The condition occurs when a dog’s stomach becomes bloated by excessive gas. GDV is life-threatening and common in Great Danes.
“A call was made to the dog’s owner to discuss the most humane options in light of dogs current condition and past behavior issues and the decision was made to euthanize Boss at that time,” Hansen said in a statement.
Rosa Ortiz, Hermida’s neighbor, told the Daily News that Ferrero knocked on her door and said “my mother wants you.”
“I went downstairs and saw my neighbor on the floor — it was bad. It was really bad. I saw her arms, the skin out, and her head full of blood. She was hurt,” Ortiz said.
Ferrero’s twin brother Nick said his mother had preexisting conditions and died of a heart attack.
