A Kingsbridge family is reportedly devastated after a pet dog reportedly fell from the roof of a multistory, residential building on Tuesday night, and tragically became impaled on a spiked iron gate below.

An NYPD spokeswoman told Norwood News officers responded to a 911 call from 3135 Godwin Terrace (Naples Terrace) in Kingsbridge at 10.33 p.m. on Tuesday night, March 12.

She said, “The 911 states a dog is impaled on the gate in front of the location. They need help. The 911 states that the caller states that the dog jumped off the roof and fell on a gate, is bleeding.” She added that the officers were unable to save the dog and that it was later transported to Animal Care & Control.

Norwood News visited the location of the accident, a 6-story, residential building, on Wednesday evening, March 13. One male resident who was throwing out some garbage said he did not see the accident when it happened but said he believed one of his female neighbors did.

We located the resident in question, who declined to be identified, and spoke to her about it.

We asked if she could explain what happened or provide some context to the accident. The resident said she heard a noise and then a lot of voices / commotion on the street. Visibly upset by the situation, she said it was “heartbreaking” and “very hard.”

She continued, saying she went downstairs, and found her neighbor’s son in distress, who was calling 911 to get someone to the scene to help rescue his dog. She added again that it was a very, very sad situation.

We asked if the woman knew how old her neighbor’s son was and she said she did not. We asked if it was a child or a teenager and she said he was not a teenager.

We mentioned that we understood from police that the dog had been taken to an animal care association, and asked if the resident knew if it had survived.

She said she didn’t know and said they were praying and hoping but she didn’t have a chance to follow up on it. She added that everything happened very fast. She repeated again that it was a very unfortunate event and that the family were “completely devastated.”

We asked if she could connect us with the family and she said their son was not there right now and her neighbor (the mom) was unavailable. We left our contact details in case they wished to comment further.

Norwood News has reached out to Animal Care & Rescue for comment on the incident and will update this story upon receipt of any feedback.

POLICE REMOVE A pet dog from a gate after it fell from the rooftop of 3135 Godwin Terrace in Kingsbridge Heights and got impaled on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Video courtesy of the Citizens’ App

Norwood News recently reported that 5 cats died in a house fire in Kingsbridge Heights on Friday, March 8, and two people were transported to hospital. Read our story for tips on how to protect pets in the event of a fire.

Meanwhile, on March 12, a local Riverdale residents’ group reported a sighting of a skunk in distress at 6171 Delafield Avenue, writing in part, “Hi Guys, there’s a seemingly sick/dying skunk outside of 6171 Delafield Ave. Is there anyone involved with a rescue of any type that can help? 311 was called and is apparently not going to come.” Norwood News shared the post. However, it’s unknown what was the outcome of the incident.

Three years ago, a group of residents worked together to rescue a dog from a second-floor window ledge in Norwood, as reported. Meanwhile, in May of last year, a Bronx man was charged with killing a dog, as reported, after slamming it against a table. In May 2022, 23 gang members in The Bronx were charged with animal cruelty, among other offenses.

In other pet-related news, ground was broken last year, as reported, on a new animal shelter in the Baychester section of The Bronx. Meanwhile, the Animal Defense Fund reminds New Yorkers to keep pets warn during colder weather, as also reported.

Please find further below some helpful links and numbers for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruetly to Animals [ASPCA].

ASPCA Helpful Numbers 

Helping Animals

• Report Cruelty:
  In New York City: 311 (or 911 for crimes in progress)
  Outside NYC: Visit our Report Animal Cruelty page.
• Found/Lost/Stray Animals:
  NYC Only: Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) at 311
  Outside of NYC: Find a Shelter
• Humane Legislation and Lobbying: grassroots@aspca.org
• Volunteer:
  Volunteer Opportunities at the ASPCA
  Outside of NYC: Contact your local shelter for volunteer opportunities.

Adoption

• NYC Only: (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120 or visit the Adoption Center online for a list of available dogs and cats, applications, directions and hours.
• Outside of NYC: Find a Shelter

Taking Care of Your Pet

• Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435 (Visit our Animal Poison Control section for more information)
• Medical Emergencies: The ASPCA does not provide medical emergency advice over the phone or email. We urge you to take your pet to a local vet immediately.

New York City Services

(Read our NYC FAQ)

• ASPCA Adoption Center: (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120 (Adoptable Animal List)

• Barking Dogs: 311
• ASPCA Animal Hospital: 844-692-7722 (844-MYASPCA)
• Report Cruelty: 311 or 911
• Dog Licenses: NYC Residents / NY State Residents
• Found/Lost/Stray Animals: Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) at 311
• Pet Loss: (Visit our End of Life Care page for information)
• Spay/Neuter Clinic: View calendar and upcoming locations.

Supporting the ASPCA

• • Monthly Donation Updates: Please call us at (800) 628-0028, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-8:00pm ET
  • Donations & Member Support: Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions before contacting our Member Support. If you are unable to find the answer, please call us at (800) 628-0028

• Strategic Cause Partnerships: View Partners
• Founders Society: (866) 319-7870

To report animal abuse or neglect, New Yorkers can also call 311 or file a NYPD Crime Stoppers report online, or by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (1-800-577-8477). You also can file a complaint for ongoing animal abuse or neglect online (non-emergency response) through the City of New York’s NYC 311 website.

KEEPING YOUR PETS SAFE DURING HOT WEATHER 

• Avoid dehydration: Pets can dehydrate quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water.
• Walk your dog in the morning and evening: When the temperature is very high, do not let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Your pet’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. (Test the temperature of the pavement wtih your hand. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws.)
• Never leave dogs alone in cars. 
• Know when your pet is in danger: Symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, unresponsiveness, or even collapse.

Editor’s Note: Norwood News originally understood from speaking with the NYPD press office that the dog was taken to the ASPCA and reported that in an earlier version of this story but police later clarified it was actually taken to Animal Care & Control. 

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.