Little dog dies 4 days after pit bull mauling

NEW YORK -- A family is grieving the loss of their dog, who was attacked Sunday by a pit bull just as the small dog was about to enter its home on Secor Place.

The dog, Lulu, a Lhasa Apso, underwent surgery after the attack but suffered liver failure Thursday morning, said Marie Dias, 49, of Yonkers.

"She was our life," Dias said of Lulu.

RIP little Lulu

Dias said she had been playing ball with Lulu near her home Sunday afternoon. She went to take the dog up the landing to her house, unleashing her right by the threshold of their home and turning to go inside when she heard a piercing yelp from Lulu, Dias said.

"I looked back and the pit bull had her in its mouth," Dias said, adding that the pit bull appeared to have lunged at Lulu on the landing. "I was devastated."

Dias' husband came running out and tried separating the two. A neighbor also helped stop the attack, police said. Both suffered scratches to their hands, officials said. Lulu had severe bruising to her midsection with both exterior and internal injuries, according to photos of the dog.

The pit bull's owner, Denise Cafagna, was issued a summons for having a dog at large and having an unlicensed dog, and allowed to bring her pit bull home, officials said.

Cafagna could not be reached for comment.

(Chron.com - April 17, 2014)