IOWA -- A Waterloo woman said three pit bulls attacked and killed her poodle while she was taking it for a walk Saturday afternoon.
"This is crazy, you have these three pits running around loose attacking. That could have been my son," said Kandi Fleshner, the poodle's owner.
"You should be comfortable walking outside of your home," she said.
The attack happened about a block from her Falls Avenue home. The pit bulls ran off with her dog, dropping it when they found another dog to go after. The poodle was located three blocks away and died on the way to the veterinarian, she said.
Fleshner said Animal Control workers seized the attacking dogs and later told her the owner had signed the dogs over to the agency.
Police records confirm that an officer was sent to the area of Falls and Knoll avenues for an animal complaint at about 10 a.m. Saturday.
Fleshner said she had the poodle, Gracie, for about five years. She said Gracie had a rough early life, and she adopted the dog following a rescue.
"My Gracie was my baby, she was my best friend," Fleshner said.
On Saturday morning, she decided to take advantage of the nice weather and took Gracie for a walk on the Edison Elementary School grounds and then around the block. They were heading back when the dogs attacked her poodle.
Fleshner said she pulled Gracie up by her leash in an attempt to get her off the ground, but the dogs pulled the poodle out of its collar.
"All I was left with was her leash and her collar," Fleshner said. She said she tried to intervene, but one of the dogs lunged toward her. She said she wasn't injured.
She said she ran home calling 911 for help on her cell phone. When she calmed down and returned, the pack had left with the poodle.
A witness showed her to the 800 block of Englewood Avenue where residents had found Gracie and wrapped her in a sweatshirt. She said strangers gave her a ride to the vets.
Officials at Black Hawk County Animal Control declined to say if they had detained the dogs, or to release any other details about the incident. Officials said the matter is under investigation and no citations have been issued.
(WCF Courier - Sept 13, 2011)
