Judge throws dog out of town for bad behaviour

A municipal judge on Wednesday scolded the owner of a 13-year-old dog with a history of biting people, and ordered the canine to leave Aspen.

And if Gizmo, a Pomeranian, is seen in Aspen again, it will be put to death, Judge Brooke Peterson told the dog's owner, West End resident Melinda Goldrich.

“As a judge, the hardest decision I ever have to make is to take someone's pet away or euthanize it,” Peterson told Goldrich. “But you and I have been dealing with your dog since 2006 ... and your excuses have worn out my patience.”



Goldrich appeared in court to answer the municipal charge of keeping of a vicious dog, after Gizmo bit a worker at the Aspen Club on Aug. 28. Gizmo had been tied to a fence when it snapped at the ankle of Susan Dodington, who visited it and three other dogs who were barking loudly.

Dodington testified that she went to pet the dogs hoping to calm them down. But when Gizmo bit her, she called the police. She did not receive medical attention for the bite.

Peterson said this is Gizmo's last chance, and served up some blistering commentary about Goldrich's role as a dog owner. “If I find out the dog is back in the community I will order animal control officers to take the dog and euthanize it,” he said. “Without question, you are irresponsible. You don't listen to what I say and you have put us all in a very precarious position.”