September 27, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Dog shooting stuns Mt. Airy
by JENNIFER KATZ

Precious was shot and killed by a mugger last week.

Police are looking for two men who attacked a West Mt. Airy man on Thursday night and killed his dog. An attempted robbery went terribly wrong when Richie Feder was approached around 11 p.m. while walking his dog, Precious, at Wayne Avenue and Westview Street near his home.

“He pointed a gun at me and told me to empty my pockets,” Feder said.

Feder had begun to comply when his assailant whacked him with his gun breaking his nose and bruising his left eye. The suspect then rifled through Feder’s pockets and when he found nothing more than house keys, shot Precious and told Feder to “get moving.”

The Labrador-border collie mix was 12-years-old and weighed approximately 55 pounds. She had been with the Feder family, Richie his wife Linda and their two teenage children, for six years.

“She was the sweetest dog that ever walked the earth,” he said. “We will miss her. We are very thankful for the years we had with her and that he didn’t take his anger out anymore on me.”

Feder described the man as young, late teens or early 20s and not very distinct looking. Feder said there was another man as well but he didn’t speak and did not participate in the attack.

Word spread quickly throughout the community, where crime is a rarity much less violent crime.

“I’ve lived in this area for 12 years,” he said. “Mt. Airy is a wonderful place. This is very sad and very rare.”

By Friday morning everyone knew what had happened and were either talking to each other or reaching out to the Feder family.

“Even in the 12 hours since this happened the outpouring of support from everyone has been amazing,” he said.

After Yom Kippur services on Friday, a group of approximately 60 congregants from the Germantown Jewish Centre walked to the scene of the area to show their support.

Along with comforting the Feder’s, the community is seeking to prevent further crime.

Laura Siena, executive director of West Mt. Airy Neighbors, said neighbors are organizing a dog-walking group at 10 p.m. and the Carpenter’s woods town watch group plans to provide town watch training to residents.

Dean Kravaite, a member of the Carpenter’s Woods Town Watch, said the community is concerned about a pattern of crime and wants to do what it can to deter criminals.

“I know that last year’s muggings happened in the fall,” he said. “We need to find ways to make our neighborhood less viable as a place for criminals to work.”

Since the incident, police have increased patrols in the area. Capt. Winton Singletary of the 14th police district said they will continue to maintain a heightened presence until a suspect is identified.