Chicopee woman welcomes new service dog after tragic loss
CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - A Chicopee woman’s service dog was struck and killed yards away from her front door in October. Now, the woman and her family are finally getting justice for their dog, while also welcoming a new family member into their home.
Last October, Alyssa Castonguay’s three-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Watson, was struck and killed by a car, just steps away from her home. The man allegedly responsible will soon has his day in court. “There was relief because justice needs to be served in a case like this and, again, I’m just thankful this wasn’t a child,” Castonguay said.
Ring camera footage reportedly shows the moment the blue Nissan Rogue responsible for hitting Watson after he got loose, which Chicopee Police referenced in a report, “The vehicle passes the front of her house...and as it is doing so you hear a loud ‘yelp’ from a dog and then you see a dog limping away from where the vehicle just passed.”
Castonguay alleged the driver was going much faster than the 25 mile per hour speed limit and did not stop once after striking her dog. “This had a serious impact on my life, my children’s life. I had my emotional support animal for a very good reason. It was for that indeed and it highly impact myself and my children,” she explained.
Now that man could be responsible for a $100 fine and Castonguay is asking he makes a donation to Dakin Humane Society. “It wasn’t about the money for me. It was just about the emotional loss for it and just giving back to the community,” she added.
After the loss of Watson, an empty home left room for a new emotional support dog. “He’s such a good boy,” Castonguay noted. Three-year-old Ghost is also ESA certified and his favorite hobby is belly rubs. “That’s what emotional support animals are supposed to be, just like that,” she noted.
Even as Ghost now fills that void that swept their family home for the last several months, Castonguay hopes this will be a wake-up call for the community to stop speeding. “This street is still basically used as a speedway and it’s very unfortunate,” she said. “I think just probably installing more slow down signs would be beneficial.”
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