Couple Claims Actor Attacked Dog in Queens

Reginald Carlson

Jennifer Aniston's co-star (and maybe-beau), Gerard Butler, is back in the news. Last we heard Butler's bodyguard attacked a photographer's car, and now the NY Post reports that the actor allegedly hit a couple's dog late Monday afternoon in LIC. While walking his own pug, Lolita (unleashed!), Butler encountered Fred and Maria Varecka and their greyhound, Mayfly (leashed). When Mayfly went for Lolita (Butler claims taking two bites at her neck), the couple says the actor "slammed Mayfly's head against a fence, screaming, 'That dog should be put down!'" The couple, in their 60s, said the encounter left them shaking, and when they told him he should put a leash on his dog, "he kept on going and going, ranting and raving... He was being verbally abusive." A police report was filed, but no citations have been handed out. Butler's PR spinderella says that he spent the evening at the vet's office, and even shelled out $3,000 for the visit of another family's pet he met there. Meanwhile, Fred Varecka tells the paper, "I thought a lot of him as an actor. And he might still be a good actor. But I don't respect him as a person." No word on whether there will be a ceremonial trashing of their Butler DVDS (Phantom of the Opera and 300).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on August 26, 2009 12:41 PM

Comments [rss]

valeriob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22J7X2vdjIE&feature=player_embedded

dd7

This is his (Butler's) fault for not walking his dog on a leash. If he had had his dog on the leash, none of this would have occurred. This is why there is a leash law - to avoid situations like this.

babyhitler

you know he said "THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!" when he did it too.

whitecastlerock

Conspicuous by his absence...

Ethan

Who's Gerard Butler?

MrManhattan

Apparently the boyfriend of that girl who used to be in "Friends". What ever happened to her?

blondeinthecity

I'm surprised by the lack of comments likening Butler to the dog kicking band.

HOTCUP

as long as i have my ferocious dog leashed, i should be allowed to walk it without fear of gerard butler's assface pug running up and bothering it. it's his fault for not having control over his dog before unleashing it.

besides, unless you're in a designated dog area, 4PM is not an off-leash hour in NYC parks.

in any case, all of the CGI in the world couldn't save butler's performance in 300.

Tower18

According to the story, it was the leashed greyhound that run up on Butler's unleashed pug. That said, yes, he needs to leash his dog. But that wouldn't have changed this story.

weenie

wait a second, Gerard Butler actually caught the greyhound?!? if I were the owners of that greyhound, I'd return that dog and ask for a refund because clearly they got a broken greyhound.

Nyctini11

I woulda done the same thing if a dog came after my little guy. Plus this the POST we're talking about and oh look another Pug owner bashing story, anyone confirm if this couple actually exists or is it yet another made up person(s) to serve up a dose of character defamation??

Bort

FINALLY someone is exposing the Post for their Pug bias.

gpoint

you always hear not to get in the middle of a dog fight, but if it's your dog, you probably can't help it

if a large dog went after my small one, yeah i would try to get it off. the verbal abuse seems like it takes background to the fact that the couple has a dog that is violent to other dogs.

zodak

"if a large dog went after my small one, yeah i would try to get it off."

i guess that's 1 way to end a fight.

gpoint

sigh

Mr. Shankly

Well done, sir.

Red rocket! Red rocket!

Snoopy

All pugs should, along with ugly women, be euthanized.

Dead Himmler

But how would you then ever get laid??

Snoopy

So I will stop doing your wife. No big deal.

Manitoba2

+1 for DH

-1 for Snoopy

junecarter

Nice one DH. Bravo!

junecarter

Zing! Beautiful Dead Himmler!

iamdmg

hey my comment got deleted! Did I use saucy language?

Bottomline is if someone's dog comes after my dog I am going to stop it.

jibbly

Who's taking bets on the number of comments before 24hours?

JacqueMehoff

I'm Gerard Butler.

iamdmg

if someone's dog was trying to bite or was biting my dog I would probably kick it's ass too.

I'm not sure I would have screamed, " THIS IS LONG ISLAND CITY!"

Wait...what?