 |
| Paul Burgess holds his dog Otis’s leash on Wednesday. The Shih Tzu was mauled by two large roaming dogs while out on a walk near his Dartmouth home on Monday. |
The little grey dog, Otis, died after being pulled and chewed to pieces in the middle of Spring Avenue while the two women walking him screamed for help.
"My 14-year-old daughter, she’s devastated," Paul Burgess said. "The dog slept in her bed every night. She used to dress him up."
Burgess said his girlfriend and mother-in-law were out walking Otis at about 11 p.m. Monday when the two bull terrier-type dogs approached. After a quick sniff, one grabbed Otis in his mouth and flipped him up in the air like a stuffed toy. That’s when the second dog joined in.
"Otis used to play with his toys like that," Burgess said.
At one point, he said his mother-in-law grabbed the seven-pound dog in her arms but tripped over the leash in the commotion and fell. She tried to protect Otis with her body but the large dogs pulled him out of her arms.
Eventually two men, who Burgess believes live a couple of streets over, came running out to help. At about that same time, the attacking dogs ran off.
Otis was still alive and Burgess said he rushed him to the emergency animal hospital in Dartmouth but the little dog couldn’t be saved.
"They said they couldn’t stitch hamburger together," Burgess said.
Burgess has reported the attack to police and said they are investigating.
Spokeswoman Theresa Rath of Halifax Regional Police told a television reporter Wednesday that police believe they know where the dogs live.
 |
| Poor little Otis |
Burgess said he has found out that the dogs live farther down Spring Avenue, and he worries they may pose a risk to children, as Brookhouse Elementary and Ellenvale Junior High are nearby.
Meanwhile, the family’s home is now a quieter and sadder place, he said.
"There’s nobody to come running to greet me at the door."
Since word of Otis’s attack got out, Burgess said he’s had several people offer him new dogs, but he said it’s just too soon.
"Maybe in a year or two," he said.
The family still has a cat, but even the cat appears bereft, Burgess said.
"The cat and the dog slept together. . . . He’s been looking for his friend."
[NOTE: I don't think many people, reporters especially, stop to consider the terror and agony this little dog suffered. He was TORN TO PIECES. And yet the reporter talks as though, "well, they've still got a cat." as if this little dog's feelings are of no concern. It hurts my heart to think of little Otis screaming in pain and having his limbs ripped out while he was still alive.
Remember, he wasn't immediately killed - which would have been much better - no, he was still alive during this whole mauling, during the time he was being torn to pieces. He was still alive in the car trip to the vet. He was still alive when they rushed him inside. He was still alive when the vet told the owners YOU CAN'T STITCH HAMBURGER TOGETHER.]
(The Halifax Herald - July 14, 2011)
