Family's dogs mauled to death in own backyard by neighbor's pit bull

NEW ZEALAND -- Emma Musson's "girls" walked her up the aisle and were there for the births of both of her children.

"We thought the kids and us would be growing old with the girls - not this," she said.

The Christchurch woman's two beloved chihuahuas were mauled to death by a neighbour's dog in their own backyard last week.

The dog, believed to be a pit bull, jumped its fence while Musson was out with her children on February 2.

Another neighbour on the Parklands street saw the dog chase and injure Musson's cat, Tim, then jump into her backyard and fatally attack chihuahuas Tink, 8, and Apple, 11.

"If it had happened half an hour later my toddler and one-year-old could have been in the backyard so they could have been mauled as well," Musson said.



Tink, left, and Apple

She called the pair of rescue dogs "the girls" and had them walk with her down the aisle when she got married in 2010.

The dogs were also there when the family lost their home in the September 2010 earthquake and for the births of both of Musson's children.

Three-year-old Archie had been having nightmares since the attack and wanted to know why firefighters could not get his "friends" back down from the stars.

"I don't want to put the fear of God in him about all animals so we told him they were old and had decided to live in the stars," Musson said. The offending dog was euthanised at the owner's agreement, but Musson was angry the neighbour had refused to apologise or provide any reparation.

"I feel she had let the dog and everyone down in this situation. She may as well have walked in here with a loaded gun. I don't know how she can go on . . . like nothing's happened."

Earlier this month, Jo Hutchby's chihuahua Harrison was also killed by another dog, this time at a dog park in Rolleston.

Housing New Zealand (HNZ) area manager Fraser Benson said staff had visited the neighbour's property several times recently and never saw any evidence of a dog living there or received any dog-related complaints.

HNZ had a no dogs policy, like many landlords, and allowed tenants to have dogs only in "exceptional" circumstances.

"We were never asked by the tenant if she could have a dog on the property; because this is a breach of her tenancy agreement, we will be meeting the tenant this week to remind her of her responsibilities," he said.

Christchurch City Council inspections and enforcement manager Anne Columbus said animal management staff issued the owner with a $200 fine for their dog "being at large" and were considering prosecution.

(The Press - ‎Feb 13, 2015‎)