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Pets Find New Homes Following Murder-Suicide

RUGENE MOORE / News Channel 8

A 14-year-old in New York hopes having her mother's dog will help ease the pain of knowing her mom was murdered. Lucky was put on a plane at Tampa International Airport this morning.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 8, 2007

Updated: 11/08/2007 12:50 pm

Previous Coverage: Missing Couple Found Dead

TAMPA - Lucky, a 2-year-old mutt belonging to a woman gunned down by her boyfriend, is en route to Buffalo, N.Y., to be reunited with the woman's daughter.

Lucky was the family pet of Wendy Dusza, a Tampa woman who deputies say was killed last month by her live-in boyfriend. The boyfriend, 30-year-old Trevor McGinty, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in a hotel room in Gainesville on Sunday night.

McGinty's cat Mario, 2, also left Hillsborough County Animal Services' care today. The cat was picked up by McGinty's aunt and will travel to Austin, Texas, to live with the man's sister.

Deputies found Dusza's body Saturday night in a 45-gallon Rubbermaid container in a garage rented by the couple at their Beach Walk Condos complex. Investigators said Dusza, 34, was shot once in the head the night of Oct. 25 or the morning of Oct. 26. Authorities say evidence shows McGinty bought the container and duct tape wrapped around its lid.

"It's a tragic thing regardless of if they're sick or well when you lose a member of your family," McGinty's aunt, Juanita Fisher, said while picking up his cat. "It was a horrible thing. He wasn't the Trevor we knew, and we feel deeply sorry for the family of the woman he killed."

McGinty was happy as a child and was a good boy, Fisher said, but he started using illegal drugs in middle school or high school.

"He's been sick for a long time. People need to learn from this about using drugs and getting help," she said. "He's been on drugs since he was young, and eventually it fries your brain and you go insane.

"He was a good boy. He was just a sick boy."

McGinty's three-year relationship with Dusza was violent and volatile, her family members say.

In February, he pulled Dusza's hair and slammed her on the ground, a Hernando County Sheriff's Office report states. In that incident, McGinty pushed Dusza's daughter out of the way and threw her dog across the room.

The dog, Lucky, is a good pet who deserves a good home, Hillsborough County Animal Services spokesman Marti Ryan said.

Lucky will get that with Dusza's daughter, Brittney Klodzinski, Ryan said.

After a layover of several hours in Atlanta, Lucky's Delta Air Lines flight is expected to arrive in Buffalo about 4:30 p.m.

Brittney, 14, was scared of McGinty and his violent streak she saw targeting her mother. The teen went to visit her father, Michael Klodzinski, and his fiancee, Carrie Casuccio, in upstate New York in June and told him she wanted to live there.

Casuccio said Brittney told them of the disturbing domestic violence she had witnessed. Her concerns were realized.

"She was afraid for good reason," Casuccio said Wednesday. "It's a terrible tragedy for everyone. It's just a shame what happened."

She wanted to come back to see her mother and Lucky, a Labrador mix. She missed them. Dusza was supposed to ship the pet but didn't get to it, Casuccio said.

"She never thought she'd see her dog," Casuccio said. "I believe both have been through so much. They will comfort each other. It's great for a child to have a pet so they can help each other cope."

Casuccio said Brittney's resiliency shows. Brittney had a good report card despite the dramatic changes in her life.

"She's a teenager and a girl," she said. "Sometimes you need a friend and parent. We are very proud of her. She's a very tough kid, phenomenal. I am surprised she hasn't broken yet. She is hanging tough."

Several people offered to pay whatever it took for Brittney and Lucky to reunite in Buffalo. But animal services instead accepted smaller donations from many people to make the trip possible. The Delta flight cost about $330, but the trip's total cost, which included a large crate for Lucky, was about $500, Ryan said.

Shortly after 8 a.m., Ryan tied a pink bandana around Lucky's neck. Animal services also planned to give the dog a Frisbee, a stuffed cow toy and an autumn brown quilt.

"Hopefully, the quilt will be warm enough for her," Ryan said. "She's going to be a New Yorker now."

Reporter Chris Echegaray contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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