LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A judge found two dogs to be vicious and ordered that they be euthanized after a series of reported dog attacks in one Lexington neighborhood.
Judge T. Bruce Bell also ordered during the hearing Friday that the dogs’ owner be temporarily prohibited from owning other dogs in Fayette County. Prosecutors recently requested both orders after the Glendover community pushed for answers in the string of dog attacks, the last of which left a woman with 30 bite wounds.
The victim of the most recent reported dog attack, Sarah Bogusewski, testified in the court hearing Friday that she was attacked from behind by two dogs in March.
“I’ve never experienced such fear or pain in my entire life,” Bogusewski said Friday in court.
LEX 18 Investigates spoke with Bogusewski last month when she expressed frustration that more action hadn’t been taken after the previously reported attacks involving the dogs that attacked her.
“I wish they had done something a lot sooner because we wouldn't be here talking about this – but maybe we need to be here talking about this,” Bogusewski said after Friday’s hearing.
After Bogusewski’s attack, prosecutors told her and other community members that they had not been able to act after the previous attacks because the dogs’ owner, James Pelfrey, had been found incompetent to stand trial.
Pelfrey has been charged multiple times in connection with reported attacks involving three different dogs, and alleged failure to keep them contained, according to court records. The third dog was euthanized after it was not picked up following a separate earlier court case.
When in this case prosecutors asked the judge to order the remaining two dogs to be euthanized, Pelfrey’s attorney’s protested, bringing up that he’d been found incompetent to stand trial. Judge Bell responded that the request concerned the dogs and safety, and could be heard despite Pelfrey’s competence status.
In court on Friday, an assistant prosecutor told LEX 18 that in hindsight, they should’ve taken more action and would in future cases.
“It does make me happy to hear them say they will take dog cases, dog bite cases more seriously when they see a repetitive nature,” Bogusewski said.
Pelfrey’s current case involving Bogusewski’s attack will likely be dismissed because he was found incompetent to stand trial.
