COLORADO -- It was supposed to be a happy outing to the Palmer Park dog park for Blue, the 9-pound Pomeranian who loved to run like the wind.
He was nicknamed Mr. Suave, because he strutted like a perky handsome show dog. But last Saturday he was killed during a dog altercation at the park.
He was nicknamed Mr. Suave, because he strutted like a perky handsome show dog. But last Saturday he was killed during a dog altercation at the park.
The incident is the most recent in a series of vicious-dog incidents in the region.
Rick and Marge Nunez said that they took Blue and their two other Pomeranians into the park’s enclosure for small dogs. They were talking when people began to shout.
‘We turned around and Blue was hanging from another dog’s mouth, said Rick Nunez. The man who brought the attacking dog to the park got hold of its dragging leash. He and Rick Nunez tried to pry the dog’s mouth open. Finally, the larger animal let the Blue go.
“We rushed him to the vet. On the way I gave him mouth to mouth and pressed on his little chest. But he was limp. It was horrible,” said a tearful Marge Nunez.
The veterinarian pronounced the little dog dead.
“We hadn’t even noticed the big dog in the enclosure or we wouldn’t have gone in,” said Rick Nunez. “Later, we had asked him why he put the big dog in the area for little dogs instead of in the enclosure for big dogs. He said because he was aggressive with big dogs.”
The attacking dog later was identified as an American bull dog named Bruno. The breed has powerful jaws and muscular bodies, weighing from 60 to 120 pounds. They have been banned in some cities, including Aurora along with pit bulls and other dogs deemed dangerous.
The dog’s ownership is unclear.
The man who had Bruno at the park said the dog belonged to someone else and asked that his name not be used. He said Bruno was in that particular enclosure because they were “being safe.” They wanted to socialize him, let him view the other large dogs, and make sure other dogs who usually rush the main gate, would accept him.
A gate and chain link fence separates the small dog enclosure from the area used by larger dogs. The gate to the fenced area where the attack occurred is clearly marked that it is only to be used by dogs weighing 30 pounds or less.
“I’m sorry. My heart goes out to them,” the man said. He asserts that the Pomeranian struck first.
“The little one got tough. He got my dog’s leg ... and my dog responded. It was two unfixed males. Bruno went dog, not crazy,” the man said. He believes that when Nunez tried to get the dog from Bruno’s mouth that the dog’s neck was broken.
Nunez disputes that. He says the dog was chasing his other two Poms and turned on Blue.
“The dog was shaking him hard. When we reached him, I made sure I was holding Blue up and didn’t pull on him because I was scared it would hurt him.”
They called police who referred them to El Paso County Animal Control. “We are afraid that the dog could hurt a child, too,” Rick Nunez said.
Erica Meyer, spokeswoman for Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region said that the incident is under investigation.
Bruno lived in a home with two cats, a Pomeranian, rabbits and two small children, the man said. “He pulled the kids around on their tricycles, slept with them. he has never been aggressive to dogs.”
The man said that Bruno was “gone,” but would not elaborate.
The Nunezes got Blue as a Christmas present when he was a puppy. He loved to carry around a squeaky toy mushroom. His favorite treats were string cheese, and oddly enough, shrimp. For the past couple of days neighbors have come by with flowers, cards and tearful condolences.
Their other dogs are grieving, she said. Fiona won’t eat, and Baby keeps looking all over the house for Blue.
They had Blue cremated and are awaiting the urn and a memorial impression of his pawprint.
“They asked if we wanted his ashes scattered, but we want him here with us always. he was one of our kids,” Marge Nunez said.
Recent Dog Attacks
•A 9-month-old girl was hospitalized Feb. 19 with serious injuries after a pit bull attack near Rush. The dog, belonging to the child’s grandfather, was euthanized.
•The owner of two dogs, a pit bull mix and a husky, was cited Feb. 24 for having loose dogs after the animals attacked a deer in northwest Colorado Springs. Police found the deer in the ditch with a severe neck injury and shot it to “end the suffering,” the Humane Society said.
•A man shot a pit bull Feb. 23 after the dog and a boxer jumped his 6-foot fence and attacked his German shepherd in his backyard. After getting his dog inside, he went to warn neighbors and saw the animals attacking two dogs being walked by a woman. When the man went to her rescue, the pit bull lunged at him, and he shot the dog. The pit bull’s owner was charged with unlawful ownership of a dangerous animal. The boxer was unharmed.
• KyleDyer, a Denver television anchor had to have 70 stitches after an Argentine mastiff bit her face while she was interviewing the owner in the studio on Feb 8. The dog had been offleash when he fell in an icy lake while chasing a coyote and was rescued. The owner was cited for disobeing the leash law and for not having the dog vaccinated for rabies. Dyer told the Denver Post she should not have bent so close to the dog’s face to pet it. The breed, which is used to hunt boar, is banned in some cities.
(Gazette - Feb 29, 2012)
