Owner of pit bull-lab mix fatally struck in head said dog had 'never been vicious'

MICHIGAN -- Brittney Baldwin said her 10-year-old pit bull - lab mix Remisey had never been aggressive in the 10 years she owned her.

After the dog was fatally struck in the head Aug. 29 for allegedly attacking a nearby dog, Baldwin said she has a lot of questions and a lot of grief.

"My dog was my world. She was my best friend. I don't have kids -- she was like my kid," Baldwin said. "She has never been vicious to nobody."

Police said the animal was struck with a "blunt object" Aug. 29 near the 4600 block of S. Draper Road in Vandercook Lake.

The man who is believed to have struck the animal declined to comment for this article.

Baldwin, who lives in Rives Township, said she and her boyfriend Corey Conner, both 23, were helping a friend move into a new house in the Vandercook Lake area when they lost track of the dog for no more than a few minutes.

Conner said once the couple realized the dog was missing, they scoured the neighborhood and found her lying in a yard a few houses away, covered in blood.

Jackson County Undersheriff Christopher Kuhl said the man who struck Baldwin's dog told police Remisey entered onto his property and began attacking his dog and he acted in self-defense.

Kuhl said officers have no reason to believe the man is lying.

Baldwin and Conner said they rushed the animal to Gaide Veterinary Hospital, 539 N. Blackstone St., where she was later euthanized due to the extent of her injuries.

Dr. Kendra Creighton said Remisey was unresponsive and was having trouble breathing when her owners brought her in.

"She had numerous fractures along her head and her nose with a lot of swelling and one of her eyes was (swollen) shut," Creighton said of the dog's injuries.

Creighton said the dog's injuries were abnormal for those the clinic usually treats.

"It was very upsetting for everyone involved," Creighton said. "There were a lot of emotions involved. ... It was a very sad case."

Conner said he and Baldwin had only been dating a short time but they had known each other since they were 12 years old. He said the animal had always been timid around people.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka said his office received the report from the incident Tuesday afternoon and will be reviewing the case for possible criminal charges.

"She didn't deserve what happened to her at all. Dogs get curious," Baldwin said. "I just wish I had her back. ... It's just sickening."

(MLive.com  - Sept 16, 2014)