Justice for Phantom in Final Stretch

Justice for 2 year-old lab Phantom that died after being abandoned in a foreclosed apartment gets ever closer as a petition to have the dog's former owner prosecuted closes in on 2,500 signatures.

“Everyone wants justice for this dog and they are depending upon me to do it,” said Marlborough Realtor Lyn Gorka who established an online petition after 8 months of working through other avenues.

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Abandoned animals in foreclosed properties — such as Phantom who was found in a Hudson apartment — are on the rise, said Gorka. An example needs to be made of this owner, she said.

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People are showing their support not only through signing the petition, but by attaching notes of encouragement along with their signatures.

“It’s amazing the support that I have gotten," said Gorka. "I can’t let these people down. I just can’t.”

Once she reaches 2,500 petitions, Gorka plans to bring the document and statements to the Marlborough District Court and the District Attorney's Office. Hudson police have said that there was a miscommunication and not enough evidence to prosecute, she said, but that does not change the outcome for Phantom.

“They’ve got to create some kind of system ... to go in and inspect the properties where you know people aren’t paying your mort and have walked away,” said Gorka who plans to work with State Representative Steven Levy of Marlborough and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.