St. Bernards Hurt Man, Echoing Attack on Wife

Two St. Bernards knocked an elderly Tarzana man to the ground, breaking his jaw, 17 years after dogs of the same breed, owned by the same neighbor, savaged his wife’s head so severely she has had to wear a wig ever since, animal control authorities said Friday.

The man’s wife also was knocked down in the incident Thursday but was not hurt, said Lt. Richard Felosky of the Los Angeles Animal Care and Control Department, who said he investigated the attack on the woman in 1973 and coincidentally was called out on the Thursday incident.

“That dog just scalped her” in the earlier attack, he said. “I’m surprised she survived. When I saw it was her again, it made my hair stand on end.”

Albert Gohlke, 84, suffered compound factures of his jaw about 9 a.m. Thursday as he and his wife, Helen, also in her 80s, walked their small poodle near their home in the 18100 block of Rancho Street.

Felosky said the St. Bernards’ owner, Tibor Toczauer, 60, also was walking his dogs when he lost control of the 120-pound animals. “They dragged the owner across the street and attacked the couple,” Felosky said.

Animal control officers impounded the dogs Friday and “we plan on filing charges against the owner,” Felosky said. “There are indications that there have been other problems with the dogs.”

Toczauer denied that his dogs attacked the Gohlkes, saying they are just playful. His 8-month-old puppy was trying to play with the couple’s poodle when the husband was injured trying to protect the smaller dog, Toczauer said.

“He fell, somehow,” Toczauer said. “We’re talking about a nice old man who is very weak on his feet. I’m upset that he has been hurt. But he was never bitten by my dogs. They did not attack them. They wouldn’t attack anybody.”

Albert Gohlke was treated at Tarzana Medical Center but was not hospitalized.

The St. Bernards will remain at the West Valley Animal Shelter until the case can be heard by a Department of Animal Regulation hearing examiner, Felosky said. That will take about three months, he said.

The hearing examiner can order the dogs destroyed, returned under safety restrictions or moved out of Los Angeles County, Felosky said.