Unauthorized animal transport at a Park Slope apartment building continues, even though three dogs were killed by a vicious mongrel during their stay, a dead dog victim said. The owners claimed that
“Everywhere we went, we were told there was nothing that could be done,” lamented one of the tragic dog owners in Brooklyn. She only gave her first name, Lindsey, to the newspaper.
The dog’s owner said 4-year-old mixed dog Penny was killed by the mutt in September at the boarding house, after previously staying there for three years.
She said she thought Penny’s death was a one-time event. That is until she connected with two other grieving dog owners through flyers distributed around the neighborhood.
More than 20 animal-related complaints against owner Jurga Stankeviciute-Evans’ doggie board business date back to at least 2019, according to city 311 records.
The NYPD responded to six complaints between March 2022 and October 3, 2024, and found that “there was no evidence of a violation at the time,” but most of the incident reports It was shut down within hours, if not minutes. City records show a complaint was filed.
“Harm or death of an animal by another animal is not a criminal matter,” an NYPD official told the Post when asked if the department’s animal cruelty unit had investigated the business.
A representative said the owner must notify the city health department of the incident.
City officials said the health department had visited the address three times in the past due to concerns raised on 311 calls, but were unable to gain access and the owner did not respond to requests for an interview.
“Boarding facilities should be safe havens for pets and not places where pets can be put in harm’s way,” a department official told the Post in a statement Monday.
“It is illegal to keep animals in a residence and there is no record of an animal handling facility permit associated with this location.
“To keep pets safe and prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future, we urge New Yorkers to use licensed facilities and to call 311 if you become aware of an unlicensed accommodation. please.”
Alyssa Vladimir, a friend of the owner of Alby, a beloved 7-year-old long-haired Shih Tzu mix who was killed in an apartment after being attacked by another dog in February, told the Post. The city is a very dog-friendly place.
“But when it comes to actual protection, they have failed.”
Lindsey said a third dog, a female named Honey, also died while staying at the store in May.
She and Vladimir said friends of dog owners who lost their pets are still “too traumatized” to talk directly about their dogs’ untimely deaths.
Stankevisiute Evans did not respond to several requests for comment. A man who answered the door at the South Slope address declined comment Sunday.
Lindsey told the Post that the dog boarding business was popular by word of mouth in the neighborhood and was recommended to her by a former dog walker in 2021 as an affordable option.
She said she took Penny to the Stankevisiute Evans apartment for regular overnight stays, but the dog handler returned to her home empty-handed.
“She said she left the dogs at 1 a.m. to do laundry and said, ‘We separated the good dogs,'” Lindsay said management told her. “When she came back, Penny was attacked…and died.”
A subsequent autopsy report revealed that Penny’s wounds did not puncture any major arteries or organs.
“It seemed like a very slow and painful death,” Lindsey said.
She said she was told by officers that the only viable option was to sue in civil court.
“The system is completely inadequate,” she says.
