Man denies attacking dog with chain saw

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Man denies attacking dog with chain saw
Friday, January 05, 2007
By LORI STABILElstabile@repub.com

PALMER - Saying he saw "the devil in the dog's eyes," a 41-year-old Monson man was arraigned in Palmer District Court yesterday for animal cruelty after he attacked a mixed-breed dog with a chain saw, nearly severing one of its paws.

An innocent plea was entered on behalf of Randall R. Mason, 41, who wore a black printed T-shirt. He was ordered held on $10,000 bail by Judge Patricia T. Poehler.

The dog, a 6-year-old female named Duke, was euthanized at Springfield's Boston Road Animal Hospital, said Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski Jr.

Assistant District Attorney Mary D. Partyka said the case will be sent to a grand jury for a possible indictment.

Mason was staying with the family at 84 Town Farm Road when the incident happened just after 1 a.m., Partyka said.

While Mason said the dog "freaked out" when he started the chain saw, Partyka said the dog's owner said it was not aggressive. Mason did not have any injuries consistent with being attacked, she said.

Mason told Monson Police Officer Shannon Bingle he "saw the devil in the dog's eyes" and then cut it with the chain saw, Partyka said. He did not mention being attacked, Partyka said.

Mason was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and the commonwealth "is concerned about mental health issues," Partyka said.

Police were called by a baby-sitter, who had been awoken by the sounds of the chain saw and the dog yelping.

"Mr. Mason indicated he acted in self-defense," said his court-appointed lawyer, Thomas A. Waldron, who asked for Mason to be released.

The case was continued to Feb. 1 for a pretrial hearing conference.

According to baby-sitter Sheila J. Chlebus' statement, the back of the dog's head was profusely bleeding, its right foot was flopping, and its left foot was half cut off. She wrote that she did not believe Mason when he said the dog bit him.

Chlebus wrote that she went across the street to call police, then returned to see Mason, who was crying, holding a towel to the dog's head, trying to stop the bleeding.

The dog's 32-year-old owner declined comment, but said he had the dog for about a year.

Partyka cited Mason's past criminal record, which included a theft of a firearm in 2002 for which he received a one-year jail term. The firearm was stolen from the dog owner.

The maximum penalty for felony animal cruelty is five years in state prison or 2½ years in the house of correction and a $2,500 fine.

In 2005, two Southampton men, David R. Betourney and Shawn Fitzgerald Lynch, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for bludgeoning a dog and cat to death. Betourney was sentenced to 2½ years in jail and Lynch was sentenced to six months in jail.

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