ASTORIA — A dog who attacked two of its owners — one of them fatally — in Queens last month was euthanized at the family's request after it developed a health condition, according to Animal Care Centers of New York City.
Boss, who was classified as a mastiff breed, was "humanely euthanized" on Feb. 17, four days after it fatally mauled 75-year-old Louise Hermida in her 27th Street home in Astoria, an ACC spokeswoman said.
The dog, which had been adopted from the ACC almost six years before the attack, was experiencing Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening condition commonly known as stomach bloat, according to ACC.
"A call was made to the dog’s owner to discuss the most humane options in light of the dog's current condition and past behavior issues and the decision was made to euthanize Boss at that time," ACC Spokeswoman Katy Hansen said.
Hermida, described by neighbors as an animal lover, was attacked by her dog in the basement of her home around 1 a.m. on Feb. 13, police said. She was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Her 39-year-old son was also hurt in the incident, suffering injuries to his left leg, police said at the time.
The victim's other son told the New York Daily News that his mother had "preexisting conditions" and suffered a heart attack. She had been trying to break up a fight between Boss and another dog when the mauling took place, the paper reported.
