IOWA -- A Mason City woman had to have her Yorkshire terrier put to sleep after it was bitten by a pit bull Tuesday, May 17.
Cheryl Zeien, of 1211 S. Massachusetts Ave., said she was walking the 2-year-old Yorkie, Scooby, with her daughter and granddaughter by her house when a pit bull belonging to her neighbors came around the corner and attacked the tiny dog.
"I tried so hard to get my dog out of his mouth," Zeien said tearfully.
She said she ended up having Scooby euthanized because he was in so much pain.
"It's just breaking my heart," she said. "Scooby was my baby."
She said the pit bull was not on a leash.
The owner of the pit bull, Marcia M. Argo, 1207 S. Massachusetts Ave., was charged with violating the city's vicious animal ordinance, according to a police department report.
Zeien, who was also walking her other dog, a German shepherd, at the time of the attack, was charged with not having a license and valid rabies vaccination tag for it.
Both the pit bull and the German shepherd are impounded at the city's animal shelter.
Pat Gansen, Mason City animal control officer, said both dogs are in a 10-day quarantine.
She said the German shepherd bit someone at the scene, and the pit bull also did not have a valid rabies tag.
Gansen said if Argo is convicted of violating the vicious animal ordinance, the pit bull will be euthanized.
Zeien said one of Argo's sons got a scratch from the German shepherd, but it wasn't a bite.
Zeien, who currently only works part time, said some people in the community have donated money to her so she can pay for Scooby's medical bills and cremation costs.
"That just touches my heart," Zeien said.
Then she got an even bigger surprise.
Her son bought her a Yorkie puppy named Oliver.
She said nothing could replace Scooby, but as her mom told her, the new pup is "someone to love."
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| Scooby before being mauled to death |
Cheryl Zeien, of 1211 S. Massachusetts Ave., said she was walking the 2-year-old Yorkie, Scooby, with her daughter and granddaughter by her house when a pit bull belonging to her neighbors came around the corner and attacked the tiny dog.
"I tried so hard to get my dog out of his mouth," Zeien said tearfully.
She said she ended up having Scooby euthanized because he was in so much pain.
"It's just breaking my heart," she said. "Scooby was my baby."
She said the pit bull was not on a leash.
The owner of the pit bull, Marcia M. Argo, 1207 S. Massachusetts Ave., was charged with violating the city's vicious animal ordinance, according to a police department report.
 |
| She tries to explain to the police what had just happened to her poor Yorkie |
Zeien, who was also walking her other dog, a German shepherd, at the time of the attack, was charged with not having a license and valid rabies vaccination tag for it.
Both the pit bull and the German shepherd are impounded at the city's animal shelter.
Pat Gansen, Mason City animal control officer, said both dogs are in a 10-day quarantine.
She said the German shepherd bit someone at the scene, and the pit bull also did not have a valid rabies tag.
Gansen said if Argo is convicted of violating the vicious animal ordinance, the pit bull will be euthanized.
Zeien said one of Argo's sons got a scratch from the German shepherd, but it wasn't a bite.
Zeien, who currently only works part time, said some people in the community have donated money to her so she can pay for Scooby's medical bills and cremation costs.
"That just touches my heart," Zeien said.
Then she got an even bigger surprise.
Her son bought her a Yorkie puppy named Oliver.
She said nothing could replace Scooby, but as her mom told her, the new pup is "someone to love."
(Globe Gazette - May 21, 2011)
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