FLORIDA -- Little Max, a four-pound Yorkie, never had a chance, says owner Sherrie Ligori.
"My little baby dog should have never have been around an animal much larger and stronger than him, " she said.
Ligori is still mourning the loss of her teacup Yorkie after he was attacked and killed by a larger dog after she dropped him off at Bayshore Grooming and Pet Resort in Tampa.
"One bite. There were teeth marks on the top of Max's head and underneath his chin clamped down on his brain, shattering his brain," Ligori described.
Max did not survive his injuries. Mina Morgan represents Bayshore Grooming and says Max's death is a tragic accident.
She says the 14-pound Scottish Terrier was sharing a grooming room with Max when suddenly, he attacked Max.
The daycare worker just couldn't get there in time.
"Both dogs knew each other well. They had played together for two and half years, which is why this was so shocking and frightening to everyone," Morgan said.
Morgan says Bayshore Grooming has been in business for 12 years and has never had a incident like this. The owner is devastated over Max's death, Morgan says, and plans to make some changes.
"Tiny dogs will probably be kept with other tiny dogs. There are very few four pound dogs," Morgan said.
Mary Beth Albright has owned a doggie day camp for five years. She says, just as a safety measure, teacups like Max are never mixed with other dogs.
"Even a medium dog like a Westie, let's say, can come down on the back of them and paralyze them. So you really have to be careful with the toy breeds," Albright said.
Meanwhile, Ligori has set up a Facebook page called "Friends-of-Max". Condolences have been pouring in, others sharing their own tragedies.
While Max will never sleep in his bed or play with his toys again, Ligori wants to save others from her heartbreak.
"It's senseless and it could have been prevented," Ligori said.
(MyFoxTampaBay - Nov 10, 2011)
