MAINE -- Police have issued a summons to the owner of a dog that fatally attacked another dog last week.
Susan Pullen's Greyhound-yellow Labrador mix escaped her Central Street home while she was not home and attacked a poodle being walked on High Street Thursday afternoon, police said.
The poodle was eviscerated and its pelvis was broken.
Pullen returned home late Sunday night and was summoned on Monday for keeping a dangerous dog and damage to livestock or pets by an animal, according to Police Chief Eric Nason.
Pullen, who owns Willow Run Bed, Biscuit and Bath "country inn for dogs" in Belgrade, said she felt terrible about what happened.
"I'm just trying to make sense of something that doesn't make any sense," she said Monday.
She said the Lab mix, Nick, sometimes barks at other dogs but has never shown aggression in the 10 years she has owned him.
Dog-sitter Lynda Hinds, who also works at Willow Run, stopped at Pullen's home on Thursday to let the dog into the fenced backyard, according to the police report. When she let him back in shortly after 3:30 p.m., he pushed through a door and ran toward High Street, where Ann Michaud was walking her poodle.
Hinds told police that she could tell by the Lab mix's posture that he was going to attack the poodle.
Hinds said she attempted to warn Michaud, yelling "Pick up your dog and don't move," before the Lab mix bit the poodle in the abdomen and shook it violently for a few seconds.
After pulling the Lab mix off the poodle, Hinds took him back to Pullen's house, the police report says. Police arrived on the scene, near 18 High St., at about 3:40 p.m.
Pullen returned to the scene and took Michaud and her poodle to the Kennebec Valley Animal Clinic. The poodle died of massive blood loss, according to the veterinarian, David Bronder.
Animal control officer Christopher Martinez retrieved the Lab mix and placed him in quarantine for 10 days.
(Kennebec Journal - March 27, 2012)
