BOULDER — A Boulder woman whose dog sprinted from an open door last year — spooking an elderly neighbor who fell and later died as a result of her injuries — pleaded no contest Monday to a municipal charge of having a dog off leash.
Dale Eggers, 65, was ordered to pay the maximum fine of $500. The judge agreed to reduce the amount by $175 if Eggers’ Airedale terrier keeps out of trouble for at least two years. The usual fine for a first-time offense is $50.
Grotzky, 87, fell outside of her home in the 900 block of Seventh Street in south Boulder on July 27. Grotzky broke her hip and elected to have surgery to replace it several days later. But the surgery required her to go off blood-thinning medications, which doctors think led to a blood clot and a fatal heart attack.
“This was an accident, but it was so totally preventable,” Grotzky’s daughter, Janeane Golliher said Monday. “If by citing this case you can convince even one person to take responsibility (for keeping a dog under control), it might save a life or prevent an injury.”
Golliher said the family doesn’t blame the dog for what happened, and they don’t intend to file a lawsuit in their mother’s death.
