Stray dog attacks, kills family pet

VIRGINIA -- A Virginia Beach family is mourning, after a stray dog killed their beloved Yorkie Monday night. Now the hunt is on to find the owner of that dog.

Amanda Merron told 10 On Your Side, “I tried to save her. I tried. I really did. I tried to save her, but I just couldn’t.” The Yorkie, named Cupcake, was like another child to the family.

  

 

“It’s going to be hard, really hard. It’s the only dog I’ve ever had my whole life. She meant so much to us,” Merron said.

She, her husband Chris and their two children returned home Monday night around 10:30 p.m. and they noticed a dog. First, it jumped into their car.

“The dog seemed kind of friendly. It didn’t seem like an aggressive dog. We were bringing stuff in and it came in,” recalled Merron.

While Amanda watched the dog inside, her husband Chris looked outside for the owner. They thought someone would be looking for the wandering animal. Then, things changed very quickly.

“As soon as this dog laid eyes on my dog, it just put my whole dog in her mouth and just took her like a rag doll, like a toy and just flung her and flung her,” Merron said.

Amanda was also bitten trying to save Cupcake. “My next instinct was to get it out because [I was wondering] is it going to attack me or the kids?”

Animal Control Officers responded and found the stray dog in the 700 block of Prince Arthur Ct.  They have the dog in quarantine, where it will remain for 10 days as they search for its owner.

Meghan Conti, Virginia Beach Animal Control Supervisor, told WAVY.com, “Typically if a dog is deemed dangerous and is turned over to Animal Control, it is humanely euthanized because it is a liability to place that animal back out into the community.”

Merron showed 10 On Your Side a copy of her lease at Emerald Point Apartments that explains the breed restrictions. That’s why she now has questions.

“[I’m] trying to understand why somebody would, if they had an aggressive dog, why was it out without a collar and a leash?”

Barry Tomlin, the Spokesperson for the Breeden Management Company told 10 On Your Side that they are working with Animal Control and the Police to find out from where the dog came and to whom it belongs. If it is determined that the stray dog belongs to a tenant, that person could be in violation of the lease.

Animal Control Officers expect to have their investigation complete in 10 days.

(WAVY - Oct 7, 2014)