Gerry and Lolita in scuffle

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08262009/news/regionalnews/jens_co_star_in_a_dogfight_ruffed_186496.htm


JEN'S CO-STAR IN A DOGFIGHT RUFFED
UP POOCH: QNS. COUPLE

By REUVEN FENTON, MURRAY WEISS and KATE SHEEHY

Jennifer Aniston's new leading man, Gerard Butler, is locked a nasty pug-of-war with an elderly Queens couple.

The hunky actor claims that he got into a verbal tussle with Fred and Maria Varecka after their "huge, menacing" greyhound, Mayfly, took two chomps out of the neck of his little pug, Lolita, near the set of his and Aniston's flick, "The Bounty," in Long Island City.

But the Vareckas say Butler, 39, viciously barked at them when their dogs' noses touched -- then slammed Mayfly's head against a fence, screaming, "That dog should be put down!"

The dogfight occurred at 4 p.m. Monday on Broadway near 14th Street, as the Vareckas were walking Mayfly and stumbled upon Butler and his wandering, un leashed pooch, the cou ple said.

Mayfly and Lolita touched noses, the Vareckas said, and Butler "went on this rampage, shouting, 'That dog should be put down!' " said Va recka's wife, Maria, 61.

"I said, 'Your dog should be put on a leash.' He kept on going and going, ranting and raving. . . . He was being verbally abusive."

Maria said the two sides split, then Butler "walks back, ranting and raving still and pointing, saying, 'You know what? You know what? This dog should be put down!'

"And he smacked the dog in the head. The dog's head went into the fence. I was shaking. The dog yelped.

"I said, 'Keep your hands off my dog! Why did you hit my dog?' He didn't say a word."

The woman said Butler left, and she and her husband called the cops to file a report. According to the NYPD, there was a complaint against a "Gerrod Butler" but no citations were given.

Butler's camp scoffed at the Vareckas' claims.

"What happened was, Gerry was walking his dog, Lolita, who is this little, small pug, a teeny thing. You can hold her in one arm, she's that small," said his manager, Alan Siegel. "Then, suddenly, this greyhound, this huge, menacing dog, bites Lolita.

"She [Maria Varecka] and Gerry then have words. . . . [Then] the dog again goes over to Lolita and takes another bite."

Siegel said the movie star spent the next four hours at an Upper East Side animal hospital tending to Lolita's wounds.

"They don't have it trained," Siegel said of the Vareckas. "They don't know what they're doing with their dog.

"People are so mean. They're just trying to milk this."

Siegel said Butler is such a dog lover that while at the vet, he shelled out $3,000 to another family he had just met to cover their bills.

Sniped Fred, "I thought a lot of him as an actor," adding that the couple owns two of Butler's flicks, "Phantom of the Opera" and "300."

"And he might still be a good actor. But I don't respect him as a person."

Additional reporting

by Larry Celona

Well all I know is if anyone or anything hurt one of my animals, I'd be pissed to the point of fighting myself. Greyhounds are HUGE animals, and Lolita is probably about the size of that other dog's head. I know, because a former boyfriend of mine had a pug, and my brother owns one too. They're tiny pooches. That other dog could have killed her, and that elderly couple should be able to control their dog if they're going to take it out. My guess is that the greyhound was probably walking them - not the other way around.

Gerry, please leash your baby when you take her out. It's for her protection as well as yours.

I'm pretty sure there is a leash law in NYC.

Here's three different accounts, two are similair and TMZ's is different:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/movies/Dogfight-Gerard-Butler-Gets-Ruff-With-a-Greyhound--55003217.html

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/122989/Butler-bites-back-over-dog-fight-allegation

http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/26/gerard-butler-pug-attack-dog-new-york-greyhound/

The fact that neither sides are pressing charges tells me that both parties were at fault, to an extent: Gerry for not leashing his dog, and the couple for not having their dog under control to the point it bit poor little Lolita. I just hope she's going to be okay. Four hours is a long time to spend at the vet.

And to the elderly couple: I've never known two animals "touching noses" to result in a trip to the vet. Get real. The dog bit her, Gerry reacted (as anybody would) to protect his dog. I'd be pissed off too if their dog would have taken a chunk out of my pet. What if it had been a child, and not a pug? We don't leash children, as a general rule. He should have had her leashed to begin with, that's for sure, but that's no excuse for these people to not have control of their dog.

My brother used to own a German Shepherd, and one time I took her for a walk. Trust me, if you don't have a firm hand on that leash, you're going to be in for trouble. And greyhounds are even bigger than Shepherds.

And yet another account...this one claims he did have her on a leash:

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/08/exclusive-gerard-butler%E2%80%99s-dog-fight

Poor Lolita...

I would normally post this in the "Heard on Twitter" thread, but since it's relevant to this conversation, I thought I'd post it here.

Someone posted this on Twitter this evening:

Quote :

just heard coolest story about Gerard Butler. good friend of mine was taking her dog 2 vet. she heard ladies screaming/crying in next room.

friend saw why as she saw gerard butler walk out w/ his dog. after he left, lady said he paid about $2500 so her dog could get prodedure!

Bravo, Gerard Butler! THESE are the type of stories to be reported! not that celeb x left a club late, hooked up w/ celeb y, etc.

http://twitter.com/jimmyaquino/

You know, I'm a firm believer in that things happen for a reason. Who knows, maybe these people were praying for a miracle to save their beloved pet, and Gerry was the answer to their prayers. It was bad what happened to Lolita, but sometimes bad things turn out for good...if you know what I mean. And I say that anyone who would fork out that much money to a stranger can't be all that bad in my book. Kudos to Gerry, and I'm glad to see (by the reports anyway) that lille Lolita is doing fine as well.

Wow, apparently they were going to have to put their dog down. Here's the whole string. Read from the bottom up:

Quote :

didnt know about Butler's earlier thing w/ another dog owner. seems like that owner was exaggerating due 2 his celebrity.



Bravo, Gerard Butler! THESE are the type of stories to be reported! not that celeb x left a club late, hooked up w/ celeb y, etc.



friend saw why as she saw gerard butler walk out w/ his dog. after he left, lady said he paid about $2500 so her dog could get prodedure!



they couldnt afford whatever prodedure was needed 4 their dog & were facing the decision to put the dog down. their crying turned to cheers




just heard coolest story about Gerard Butler. good friend of mine was taking her dog 2 vet. she heard ladies screaming/crying in next room.

Exactly. Like I said, things happen for a reason.

I can't even imagine to think how I would feel if I were faced with the decision to put my pet down because I couldn't afford the procedure to save him/her. I would feel like I was killing my baby myself, if I made that decision....

Whether it was out of the goodness of Gerry's heart and/or damage control, I'm happy for the person whose pet was saved.

Things do seem to often happen for a reason, don't they?

This is so bad, but funny.

http://www.dlisted.com/node/33604


Best part of the story:
"This story screams for the classic "F/ck You Guy" phone prank, so here it is:"




I know I'm going to hell. Please forgive me, but it's funny. I hang my head in shame. Lolita is fine, so I jest...

http://wcbstv.com/entertainment/gerard.butler.slaps.2.1145884.html

Queens Couple Says Actor Butler Slapped Their Dog

Jennifer Aniston's newest on-screen leading man, Gerard Butler, has gotten into a dog fight with a Queens couple, who accuses the actor of slapping their greyhound.

The location of the shoot for Aniston's next movie called "Bounty" was at a Yonkers warehouse on Wednesday, but on Monday, when the shoot was in Astoria, a couple out walking their two dogs say they had a troubling encounter with Butler, who's starred in the move, "The Ugly Truth."

"I think he's got a real nasty temper and I don't think he's a very nice person," said Fred Varecka, who was walking the dogs with his wife Maria.

The couple says while taking their dogs for a walk, they came upon some movie trailers and a small dog, not on a leash. They say one of their greyhounds, "Mayfly," tried to lunge for the small dog.

"They went nose to nose. I will admit that he growled. I pulled him back because had him on a short leash," says Mrs. Varecka.

But she says her dog did nothing more.

With that, Mr. Varecka says he turned around and was face to face with Gerard Butler.

"The first thing that came out of his mouth, 'You should put that dog down; put that dog down,'" he says.

The couple says the actor was just ranting.

"He was like a child going on a temper tantrum," Mrs. Varecka says.

That's when Mr. Varecka says Butler's anger went to the next level.

"He said, 'You know what, that dog needs to be put down,' and he smacked my dog in the face, hit his ear and actually the dog hit the fence next to the park," he says.

Mr. Varecka says he asked the actor why he hit his dog, to which Butler said nothing.

Joy Fehily, a spokeswoman for the actor, issued a statement regarding the incident Wednesday.

"A larger greyhound repeatedly attacked Gerard's small pug, so he separated them to protect both dogs."

The Vareckas say their dog never attacked the other beyond growling.

"He did take a lunge for him, but we had control over our dog," he says. "He never bit the dog."

The Vareckas say all they want is for fans to see a different side of the actor and for him to get his dog on a leash.

The actor's spokeswoman admits the pug was not on a leash, and spent three hours in a vet's office.

If this happened around 4 pm and Gerry was at the vet for 3-4 hours depending on reports, you have to wonder about other reports stating that they were back filming at 6 pm and Lolita was out and about with a handler at 6:15pm seemly fine without bandages etc.

I bet more comes out about this story.

I love a good mystery. How come we haven't heard anything about his arraignment last week? Bet that's coming too. This pup slap will just waken the pap slap incident interest again.

Our first dog ( a yellow lab) was bit in the face by a german shepherd through their back yard fence, no doubt. And I can identify with how Gerry felt. When we took her (the yellow lab) to the vet, she got stitches, but the vet said they try to avoid bandages, so they put this liquid over the wounds to keep them from getting infected and the wounds heal faster that way. Maybe that's why Lolita didn't have bandages.

Dallas wrote:

This pup slap will just waken the pap slap incident interest again.

Wasn't the court date for that on Aug. 18th?

I agree with Dallas, there's much more to it than this. You know, I'm not completely taking anyone's side on this, because in my opinion the truth of what happened probably lies somewhere in the middle. By all accounts it was confirmed that he took her to the vet. Whether or not she was that seriously injured is another story.

Based on what I've read, it would appear to me that both sides are exaggerating the story a bit (or quite a bit, as the case may be) to make themselves look like an innocent victim. My guess...not that I know or saw, but based on what I've read and what I know about animals....is this:

The couple had their dogs on leashes. All of the sudden, this little pug comes flying out of nowhere, yapping at the greyhounds and startling them. The couple pull the dogs back, but not before one of them snaps and nips Lolita. Gerry, being the protective dog owner that he is, reacts (probably in a panic) and pushes the dog's head away. Because he's reacting under panic and protective mode, he probably pushed the dog a bit too hard - not on purpose, but as a reaction. In turn, the couple - being the protective dog owners that they are - react and get upset that he "hit" their dog. Obviously the police didn't think it was a big enough deal to even interview him or issue a ticket. The police get these sorts of stories all the time from opposing sides, so they're probably pretty used to deciphering the real truth.

****************************************************

That being said, I found this article interesting. It's in the NY Post again:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08272009/news/regionalnews/harebrained_186692.htm

Pals of dogged actor Gerard Butler yesterday insisted that his precious pug was attacked by a Queens greyhound, and likely for one reason -- the pug looks like a rabbit, which the former racing dog used to chase at the track.

"[Butler's] dog is pretty much like a fat bunny," said Stacey Richman, who accompanied the 39-year-old star and his beloved pooch, Lolita, to an Upper East Side animal hospital after Monday's dustup involving the greyhound and its elderly owners.

"The doctors at the hospital said [such attacks were] common when [greyhounds] retired because these dogs are trained on small animals," Richman said.

Even Fred Varecka, who along with his wife, Maria, got into the dispute with Butler over their greyhound, Mayfly, agreed the scenario was possible -- to a point.

"Maybe Mayfly thought his dog was a rabbit, but he didn't touch the dog. He growled, but he never touched the dog," insisted Fred, 67.

"I'm going to be honest. The greyhounds need to be watched in the beginning because their life is either racing or being put down. That's a true statement. But I had complete control," Fred said.

The Vareckas called the cops on Butler after alleging that he flipped out when Mayfly touched noses with Lolita and then slammed the greyhound's head into a fence during a walk near the set of Butler's latest flick with Jennifer Aniston in Long Island City.

Butler's camp claimed that Mayfly viciously attacked Lolita, biting her twice on the neck.

The actor's rep yesterday said Butler may have brushed the bigger dog away -- but only to get it off Lolita.

"Gerard was trying to protect his dog and separate the both of them. He would never intentionally hurt another animal," said spokeswoman Joy Fehily.

But Maria bit back. "He's not a nice person," she said of Butler.

"I want people to know he's an ass. I don't want anything from him. Maybe he could make a donation to Grateful Greyhounds," the organization that places the fleet-footed canines after their racing days, said Maria, 61, who works for the organization with her husband.

****************************************************

"Um, I don't want anything from you, BUT...." Mmmhmm.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20300551,00.html

Jennifer Aniston's new leading man, Gerard Butler, is at the center of a canine controversy after a New York dog owner accused him of striking one of his animals earlier this week near the set of Butler's romantic comedy The Bounty.

Retired banker Fred Varecka told Radar Online that the actor struck one of his greyhounds, Mayfly, after Butler's unleashed pug came over to check out the two pups Monday afternoon in Queens, N.Y. "My dog crashed into a fence before 'yelping' in pain," Varecka claims. "I asked him: 'What did you hit my dog for?' But he just kept ranting and raving that our dog should be put down – it was unbelievable because the dogs never came into contact at any time."

But a person with knowledge of the situation tells PEOPLE Pets that one of the greyhounds "attacked Gerry's pug. Gerry had to physically get in the middle of the two of them to protect the little dog. And then he quickly put a leash on his dog. As far as I know, they are exaggerating; Gerry is an animal lover and simply separated the dogs.

"Gerry is not going to respond to this because he knows he didn't do anything wrong," the source continues. "He's devastated that these people are saying these things, he would never hurt another animal."

A rep for Butler tells PEOPLE: "A larger greyhound repeatedly attacked Gerard’s small pug, so he separated them to protect both dogs.”

The Vareckas did not return calls from PEOPLE Pets for comment but told Radar that they filed a complaint with their local police station.

NYPD spokesman Martin Speechley confirms that a harassment complaint was filed Monday. "The victim states that the male's dog was unleashed and charged at her dog. She stated, 'Your dog should be on a leash,' to which the perp cursed her out," says Speechley, noting that this is not an offense that could result in an arrest. "They are claiming someone cursed at them."

The spokesman says Butler won't be interviewed by cops nor will he be sent a ticket.

While the Vareckas were filing their complaint, Butler took his pug to a Manhattan vet, says a source. "She's recovering right now," says the source, who doesn't know the extent of the injuries or what kind of treatment the dog received.

There is at least one dog who benefited from this canine scuffle. "When Gerry was in the waiting room, there was a couple whose dog was really, really sick and to get further treatment they needed $3,000," the source tells PEOPLE Pets. "Gerry overheard the situation and offered to pay and the dog is surviving because of this."

Good Lord, how many times does that dog owner have to talk to the press?

Yeah, the guy doesn't want anything but to try to make G look like a criminal.

Bankers....

The more this couple talks to the press, the more they're making themselves look foolish. They should just shut their mouths and be thankful Butler isn't suing them for damages - or defamation of character, for that matter.

My older brother and his wife used to own a cocker spaniel. When my niece and nephew were small, they would often have their friends over to the house to play. One day, the cocker spaniel bit one of the kids and the family wanted to sue my brother for damages. They ended up settling, but the point was this: it made no difference that the kids were in my brother's house, and might or might not have been aggravating the dog. The point was, the dog bit the child and they didn't have a leg to stand on. What if it had been a child that the greyhound bit, instead of a pug? They should be more careful when taking their dogs out. Greyhounds are big dogs, and most of them are former racing dogs. They're not just your run of the mill pet. My former boss adopted these dogs too, and had several of them, and she could vouch that they need special care.

You're probably right, I hadn't thought of that. This story isn't going to go away soon, given the recent coverage regarding Michael Vick. It was all over the tabloid headlines yesterday, and continues today. Someone sent something on Twitter just now:

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ehrn

Twitter wrote:

On Thursday 27th August 2009, @007TIPS said:


reply

First Tip received 2 pm EST 8-27-09 ‎​
@scandal #scandal #gerard #butler #007tips
I want to leave a tip for Harvey Levin from a colleague in the NYC District Attorney's Office regarding the Gerard Butler incident. the eyewitnesses interviewed to ascertain if any criminal charges might be filed against someone! A couple walking there rescue dogs (greyhounds) on leashes came across a Movie shoot with Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston! Gerard's pug which was not on a leash aggressively approached the rescue dogs and engaged them in some aggressive behaviour! Gerard quickly intervened and grabbed his dog! The elderly couple suggested he keep his dog on a leash! At which time Gerard cursed at couple and told them to piss off! Then Gerard took a swipe or slap at the dogs causing couple to retreat and call police. Couple made a complaint of Harassment against Butler but when police tried to get Gerard's side he was protected by a producer on the set and the cops were told he was busy filming! The cops left to handle more pressing crimes! When they returned he was no longer available on the set! Gerard was never officially interviewed and his side is not recorded on any police files or other paperwork!
@scandal #scandal #gerard #butler #007tips

http://twitter.com/007TIPS/

good lord...