NEW ZEALAND -- The owners of two chihuahua cross puppies could only watch on in horror as a large dog attacked and killed their pets on a Nelson beach.
The dog, thought to be a bull mastiff cross, savaged the two puppies on Saturday afternoon at Back Beach, Nelson City Council dog control manager Stephen Lawrence told news agency NZN.
Dog control officers believe they know who the dog's owner is and are trying to track her and the offending dog down, he says.
Lawrence was called to the beach after the attack.
"It was very upsetting for the owners and a very unpleasant situation."
Dog control investigations continue, including taking full statements from witnesses, he says.
One of the puppy's owners Kate Earl, 24, described the attack as "horrible".
"It isn't the fact it's me and my friend, it isn't the fact they've gone. It's how we keep seeing it over and over again and it could've been prevented so easily," she told the Nelson Mail.
The offending dog wasn't on a lead, and its owner told them he was fine shortly before the attack, Earl said.
Its female owner had kicked it, but that had not stopped it from attacking, she said.
The woman then abused Earl and the other puppy owner Shiree Brunell, 17, saying their dogs had caused the attacks.
"She was horrible, she told us to stop screaming and crying," Earl said.
The attack could have been easily avoided if the woman had told them to pick the puppies up, she said.
Earl's dog Nizmo, was a six-month-old, toy poodle-chihuahua cross, while Brunell's dog Milo, was a nine-week-old, pomeranian-chihuahua cross.
(TVNZ - Sept 26, 2011)
