‘I’m her voice’: Owner of dog fatally shot in Queens speaks out
HOWARD BEACH, QUEENS (PIX11) – The owner of a dog fatally shot in a Queens home said it’s been a “living hell” since her beloved Pomsky died, and the gun violence has to stop.
Lisa Murena lost her Pomsky, Arya, on Monday around 1:30 a.m. after a teenager allegedly fired into Murena’s home in Howard Beach, according to the NYPD.
“She was beautiful, she was one of a kind,” Murena told PIX11. “I’ll never see her again.”
Police found the dog with a gunshot wound and a bullet hole in a window of the home, in what Murena said is her parents’ bedroom. The beloved Pomsky died shortly after at a local vet hospital, Murena said.
Police arrested 18-year-old Joshua Marte related to the incident, and the teenager later pleaded not guilty to weapons and animal cruelty-related charges, court records show. Marte told police it was an accident, authorities said.
Now, Murena is calling for an end to illegal gun violence so others don’t experience her pain, she said.
“This has to stop,” Murena said. “I’m her voice and it has to end.”
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.