Thomas and Lisa Lay were left shattered after an evening walk on August 2 turned to tragedy when their five-year-old terrier cross BooBoo was rushed into emergency surgery.
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| Thomas Lay's dog BooBoo was mauled to death by a German Shepherd. He is pictured with his other dog Fifi, who survived the attack. |
The couple were walking their dogs, BooBoo and Fifi, in Wills St about 6.30pm when they were approached by a german shepherd, which was off its lead.
Assured by its owner it wasn't dangerous, the dog started sniffing then biting at one of the couple's dogs, causing BooBoo to slip her collar and flee.
Mr Lay said the german shepherd gave chase into a nearby park. Then they heard a scream. Chasing after them he found BooBoo hiding, her jaw almost snapped in half.
The owner of the german shepherd then disappeared with his dog.
After surgery, the trauma of the incident caused BooBoo's organs to fail and she died the following Sunday.
"This wasn't just a dog, she was part of our family. She slept with us. We've had her since she was born - we did everything right. She was on a lead," Mr Lay said.
He has urged all owners of large dogs to keep them on leads, no matter how much they trust them.
Council's Compliance Manager Ian Stewart said the incident was being investigated to find the owner of the dog.
"Council promotes responsible pet ownership and in 2010 introduced a dog on leash law, which means all dogs must be on a lead in all public places," he said.
(Melton Leader - August 14, 2012)
