Locals React to HBO Show on Vicious Haddonfield Dogs
"I used to tell my children to climb up in the magnolia tree in front of our house if their dogs got loose."
It was a well-known story to many locals that was shared last week with the nation.
HBO's One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal featured the Taffet family of Haddonfield. The first 22 minutes of the hour-long cable TV documentary chronicled nearly 10 years of struggles neighbors in this tony community had with a pack of Rhodesian ridgeback dogs owned by a renowned surgeon, Dr. Robert Taffet.
Despite his medical brilliance, Taffet failed to understand his dogs had become a menace to his neighborhood here and at a farm he owned in Salem County.
Taffet spoke exclusively to Haddonfield Patch last April, hours before he euthanized Duke, one of his four ridgebacks. The ridgeback breed was originally bred for lion hunting in Africa. Some of the Taffet's neighbors in the 100 block of Upland Way said they were scared of the dogs.
Duke had survived an incident in 2009 in which he tore the ear off of Claire McVeigh, a 3-year old girl, at a Salem County farm the Taffets owned. The Taffets finally decided to destroy him last year after he bit a teenage girl visiting their Haddonfield home.
“It has to be done,” a grim-faced Taffet said then. “Nobody’s happy about it.”
A call for comment last week to Michele Taffet, the doctor's wife who also spoke exclusively to Haddonfield Patch last year, was not returned.
HBO filmed the Taffets crying on over the corpse of Duke after he was euthanized.
Despite the tears, three other Haddonfield residents who appeared in the film say their views of the Taffets and the ordeal their dogs caused was not changed.
"I feel I was too close to the story," said Shelly Castorino, whose daughter Jackie, 22, was bitten by one of the Taffet's dogs eight years ago. "I just felt it focused on the dogs and not the victims. I actually asked people I knew who knew nothing about the situation to watch it to let me know what they thought."
Castorino said her daughter has has several cosmetic surgeries to hide the puncture wounds on her left shoulder from Rocky, Duke's father in a pack of dogs that once reached six that the Taffets owned.
Rocky was cited in five biting incidents in Haddonfield that led to him being declared a "vicious" dog by the borough. That designation required the Taffets to fence in their sprawling property, add signs warning neighbors of a dangerous dog on the property and take out $1 million in additional homeowners insurance.
Rocky died earlier this year, but a neighbor said she has seen several new dogs, Turkish kangels, romping around the Taffet property along with the ridgebacks.
"Dog owners love their dogs," said Mario Iavicoli, the Haddonfield solicitor who prosecuted the Taffets for the "vicious" dog ruling. "They're like parents who are in denial that their kids are doing stupid stuff."
Iavicoli said he was surprised about the notoriety of this case. He joked that he was the least telegenic person interviewed. But he admits the Taffet situation was no laughing matter.
"Haddonfield did what it had to do to enforce the law," he said.
The Taffets only had one of their dogs registered in Haddonfield. The others were licensed in Salem County. New Jersey law only requires them to be registered somewhere in the state.
Susanne Principato, a neighbor of the Taffets, also knows the dog situation there was no joke. She was also featured in the HBO film talking about countless incidents she and her family had with the ridgeback packs, whom she said regularly roamed the neighborhood until Taffet fenced his property.
Principato was no stranger to television. Known then as Susanne LaFrankie, she was a tough-as-nails reporter at WPVI TV-6, Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, for 11 years. She wasn't shy about detailing the problems she has had with her neighbor.
"I used to tell my children to climb up in the magnolia tree in front of our house if their dogs got loose," she said. "We were hoping the documentary would focus on the fact that some dog owners are irresponsible. It's our contention that all of these attacks could have been avoided if our neighbors had been more responsible dog owners."
Principato said she and her husband are leading an effort to change the current state statue on irresponsible dog owners to hold them criminally liable for the actions of their dogs.
"I think that was lost in the documentary," she said. "It showed their story and our story, but we had hoped it would be more focused on irresponsible dog owners."
The HBO special, which is still airing on the cable network, examined America's love of dogs in three segments.
"Americans have always had a love affair with canines, but lost amidst the pampering are unpleasant truths about dog ownership, care and commerce," according to the HBO website. "One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal offers an eye-opening, three-part portrait of America’s complex relationship with dogs."
Principato knows all about the complex relationship. She cuddled, pampered and played with her dog, Charlie, a King Charles spaniel poodle, on a recent weekday at her home. She played in her front yard with Charlie, just a stone's throw away from the Taffet compound across the street, with "Beware of Dog" signs posted on the fence.
"It's always heartbreaking when a dog, a pet, has to be euthanized," Principato said softly. "It made me sad for the dogs. There were four of them that were not neutered, which fosters a pack mentality and makes them much more aggressive. They're beautiful animals. I often felt times felt so sad for those dogs."
Sue Martin
12:16 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Turkish kangels are not usually thought of as "suburban" pets. They require firm & consistent training/handling. And they are quite large.
Reed Rothchild
12:18 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
These owners, the Taffet's, define ignorance and lack of respect for their neighbors. The fact that there were multiple offenses reported ("Rocky was cited in five biting incidents in Haddonfield") against these animals, and most likely plenty others unreported, shows that they weren't safe to have in a town setting. Imagine walking your young children down the street and having to worry about them being mauled b/c an animal. This shouldn't be the case and unfortunately it was and apparently might still be? If you allowed your children to visit this house I question your sanity. It's appalling and should show that zero tolerance should be put in place for situations such as this everywhere in America...but especially one of the "best places to live" on the planet. I hope the Taffet's have a picture of Claire McVeigh on their mantle next to pictures of the deceased animals they blindly put on a pedestal. Accidents do happen but this situation and others like this are completely unacceptable regardless of your wealth or beliefs.
passwordalert
1:58 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
i gree , as a member of the community most people here ignore that. they are not above the law . they are hardworking people whom do enough not to question the decision of buying a dog.
the taffets are really nice people, from an outside perspective im sure it seems worse with cutscenes. most days they are in danger of enjoying a nice walk in their town
Jennifer S
8:43 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Having an intact (that is, not spayed or neutered) animal is not responsible to begin with. You are not only asking for trouble but with these 5 dogs, you are BEGGING for it. If you have no intentions of breeding, there is no excuse for not altering your pet. They still make good family guard dogs. It is unfortunate that these animals are so aggressive and that one had to be euthanized because of lack of owner responsibility. I can't see why a law isn't passed that you must alter your pet in suburban settings. It is a routine procedure, the animal heals quickly, it reduces the risks of prostate cancer in males and mastitis and pyometra in females, they mark their territory less, and the risk of having unwanted litters in eradicated. We as humans have the capability of doing this. The animals don't. We are responsible. People also need to research the breed of their pet of choice. People with small apartments are in for a surprise if they get a small dog. A Great Dane is actually a good apartment pet, strange as it sounds. The law sees pets as property and therefore treats them as such. We know they are more than that. Let's prove it.
Florence Eaise
10:10 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Killing a dog is not the only answer! As soon as an irresponsable owners dog does something everyone wants the dog put down a nice way to say KILLED! Well what the hell about the idiot owners who dont care for keep or train the dog as they should? You never hear put the owner down you never hear anything except well they are such nice people! How about some punishment for the owners i could think of a few good punishments id settle for jail time! That wont happen though, they'll just get another dog to replace the one that was killed and the problem will start all over again because the problem never was the dog in the first place its the IGNORANT OWNERS!
Mr. B.
3:53 pm on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
People and their animals! That's what these filthy beasts are: animals. They are not people and should not be afforded the same protection under the law. If an animal is known to be viscious, it should be killed, thereby removing the threat to the community of human beings. Zero tolerance needs to be the policy. Why these dogs were allowed to terrorize this neighorhood for so long is absolutley appalling. If dog owners could love people as much as they love their animals, then perhaps these situations wouldn't happen. If you own a dog, keep it leashed, fenced, and muzzled or be prepared to pay the price when it acts like an animal and injures someone.
Florence Eaise
4:19 pm on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Mr B. I have a news flash for you buddy HUMANS ARE ANIMALS TOO! And they do FAR MORE HARM to people the environment and even animals! Id take an animal over a human anyday especially a grouchy old ignorant one like YOU!!! Humans are the MOST VISCIOUS FILTHY BEASTS OF ALL!!!! Perhaps if people cared about anything OTHER than themselves none of this would have happened they wouldnt own a dog they cant control! Want to blame someone Mr B. (in thinking the B is for Bird brain or Bigmouth) BLAME THE HUMAN, THE OWNER!!! Its NOT the dogs fault it was NEVER trained! If dogs can serve our country and fight in wars us humans start then they Damn well deserve protection under the law! (from ignorant people like you!)
Mr. B.
4:40 pm on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Florence,I can tell by your rant that you are obviously one of those dog owners that falsely thinks that their animal is one of their children. I firmly believe in the ethical and humane treatment of animals. I choose not to own an animal because I don't want to be burdened. I give my love to my family and fellow human beings. But, I couldn't agree more, that if you own an animal it is your responsibility to care for it responsibly. And the majority of animal owners do that. If that brings joy to their lives, then I'm all for it. But what I was getting at with this situation is these dog owners were not even remotely responsible with their animals. That is something that is upsetting to dog owners and non-owners (like me) alike! And I think that is was absolutley absurd that these people were allowed to keep these untrained wild animals in our neighborhood. People continued to get hurt, and instead we kept deferring to the animals instead of the victims. We live in a human society. Human beings take precedence, not dogs. And when someone is irresponsible with their animals, though it is not the animal's fault, it is the animal that remains the threat, none-the-less. That animal needs to be removed from our society the first time it mauls someone. Sending it to a farm where it can still hurt people obviously wasn't the solution. I see, at that point, nothing wrong with killing a dangerous animal; humanely of course.
Florence Eaise
6:03 pm on Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Mr B. just to be clear i am NOT one of thoses dog owners who falsely thinks that any animal is one of my children! As a matter of fact i DONT even own a dog! I do however have 3 daughters, and i can see your point on the safety issue thats obvious i would hope to everyone! Ive never stated that dogs or any animal for that matter should ever take precedence over a human especially in matters of health or safety what i am saying is that pet owners need to be and should be held accountable for the actions of their pets! If they take a dog and put it down because it bit that only stopped THAT particular dog from harming anyone, however whats to say thoses same irresponsible owners dont go out and get another dog or two that they cant handle or control? Now you got another dog or two that could harm someone thanks to the owners! Killing a dog doesnt solve anything unless and until owners are held accountable this will sadly continue to happen! Pet owners need to be held accountable and responsible by law for their pets actions for its largely due to the inadequate care and training that makes these terrible attackis happen in the first place
Katie Coppola Sweeney
10:47 pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I am a huge defender of dogs, because in most cases it is the owners fault of their actions, not do much the dogs themselves. Dogs are wild animals and we domesticated them. And as responsible dog owners we must know how to control and care for our dogs. So that being said, I want to know what the actions the Taffetts took after the first sign that one of their dogs could potentially be threatening to other people? Did they take extra care in training the dog? Take him to an obedience trainer? WTF, as dog owners we need to be responsible! Poor Duke lost his life due to an irresponsible owner. And for the love of fucking Dog, stop breeding!!! And please, Mr. Taffett, correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. I really would like to believe you were a better dog owner. These dogs deserve better.
Wally's mom
1:15 pm on Thursday, July 26, 2012
One year ago , my 10 month old miniature dachshund was attacked and killed by 2 neighborhood dogs that got loose. The dogs owners, Gina and Hex Kleinmartin were also grossly irresponsible and refused to take responsibility for their dogs behavior. A 10 month long court battle ensued whereupon the dogs were declared dangerous by a city court judge in Buffalo, . I do not understand why anyone would want to be owners of vicious and dangerous dogs. The dogs are still residing in the neighborhood, with restrictions put on them. My fear is that they will attack again and perhaps next time it will be someone's child who is hurt or killed. The Kleinmartin's who reside in North buffalo, ny are irresponsible dog owners who take the risk of harming other pets or worse people, by harboring vicious and dangerous dogs. as seen in the hbo documentary dogs that attack are very likely to attack again.
Erin
1:56 pm on Monday, July 30, 2012
I watched this program yesterday and I am very upset over it. As an owner of seven rescue dogs, I cannot understand why a family of means would drop thousands on legal fees rather than enlisting a couple hundred on quality training.
When the judge referred to the ear case as a "nip" I was astounded. He said he used common sense- By his logic, A brutal stabbing might be deemed a "nick". My jaw dropped.
I would be beside myself if one of my dogs turned on anyone. The dogs range from 120lbs down to 8lbs and while I love them as much as my kids- I recognize they are still animals and are capable of inflicting harm.
jami
2:31 am on Sunday, August 26, 2012
Dr. Taffet is a DESPICABLE human being to so cavalierly prioritize a dog over human beings. All his dogs who have bitten should be destroyed , not bitten given to good homes and he should NEVER be allowed to own animals again.
Michel Devost
9:18 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013
Hello ,
You like the PETS !!!
Let me show my beautiful creations of decorative mailboxes!
Models : dogs, cats, horses, farm animals, wild animals, birds, vehicles, fish, snoopy.
Be the first to own one of these very unique mailboxes!
“ … This mailboxes will do turn the heads of the passers-by”.
Web site : http://pages.globetrotter.net/miche/mailboxes.html