OHIO -- A local family is mourning the loss of man's best friend.
Another dog has terrorized the Montgomery County neighborhood and slaughtered their pet.
Now, authorities are considering charges against the owner of the pit bull.
Neighbors on Albers Avenue are relieved that it was another dog and not a child that was attacked by the dog. They said the pit bull in question gets loose on a regular basis and they are concerned about the safety of their children.
Dawn Jones said, "Whenever I see him running loose, my kids aren't allowed outside. He's on a chain, but he's gets off it."
Deputies said the pit bull viciously killed and mutilated a neighborhood pet, a hound dog named Max. Roy Baker said, "It's my son's dog. He's had him since he was a pup. Eleven years old."
Animal authorities caught the dog before the dog attacked another pet or a person.
Chris Byrd of the Animal Resource Center said, "I've only seen that kind of damage out of coyotes. That was pretty severe."
Max's owners said he didn't have a chance to get away from the pit bull because he was chained to his dog house.
"Our dog's on a chain and everyone else's dog is on a chain," said Baker.
Neighbors said the pit bull killed another dog in the past few weeks.
"Right up the street at the corner. He got that dog too," said Dawn Jones.
Authorities tried to talk to the pit bull's owner, but no one answered the door.
Byrd said, "As far as the owners are concerned, we haven't been able to speak to them. So, we so we don't know what their side of the story is."
Officials are now holding the pit bill at the Animal Resource Center.
They said it is very possible that the pit bull's owner could be liable for the other dog's death. Animal Control authorities said pit bull owners must obey special confinement and insurance rules.
(WHIO - Dec 15, 2009)
