Dog Dies After Attack in Lake Forest

ILLINOIS -- A local family is heartbroken over the death of their 12-pound Shih Tzu named Oliver who was attacked on January 21 by a large dog who appears to have escaped from its yard in east Lake Forest.

Daily North Shore is sharing this story as a public service to remind people that dog attacks can have tragic results.

“We feel compelled to tell our story to as many people as possible to emphasize owner responsibility,” said the Shih Tzu’s owner. “Contain your animal efficiently and don’t assume that an electric fence is the answer. Walk with a leash no matter how highly evolved and trained you think your pet is. And – the big one – know your breed and their genetic makeup and possible triggers. A pet that can be friendly and outgoing can also be unpredictable and potentially deadly.”

She explained that her daughter was walking Ollie on a leash in a quiet, residential neighborhood on the east side of Lake Forest Wednesday afternoon when two dogs, off leash, ran toward them without a sound.

She said the larger of the two dogs charged them, tearing into Ollie’s neck while her daughter screamed for help and tried desperately to fight off the dog, who continued to tear into Ollie’s side.

The larger dog then grabbed the Shih Tzu’s hind legs to try to wrench him away. The young woman’s screams were heard by a neighbor who witnessed the attack and called the police.

After wresting Ollie away from the attacking dog, the daughter ran to her aunt’s house with her almost lifeless dog in her arms. Together they drove Ollie to an animal clinic where he died from his injuries a few minutes after arriving.

“My daughter tried vainly to stop the attack and save our dog, but it was clearly an animal that for those moments had turned into a predator after his prey. Not even a bark,” she said.

The Lake Forest Police issued two tickets to the owner of the large dog; one for Biting or Attacking a dog and the other for violating the City’s Running at Large code. The offending dog is quarantined in its house for 10 days and will then be examined by its veterinarian, said LFPD Cmdr. Craig Lepkowski.

He said the gate to the offending dog owner’s home was open at the time of the incident but that it is unknown whether it was accidentally left open or blown by the wind. The City has had no prior contacts with the offending dog, he said.

The incident occurred two or three blocks away from the larger dog’s home.

Cmdr. Lepkowski said both dogs were up to date on their shots.

(DailyNorthShore.com - January 23, 2015)