Life made an unexpected and tragic turn for Iliana Aragon and her dog, Lola.
“I don’t know what the right thing to do is,” Iliana said.
Iliana was out running errands the Sunday before valentine’s day when she got a frantic call from her dad.
“He just told me to rush to the vet hospital,” she said. “I thought it was just for something simple.”
What she didn’t know was that her poodle had just been attacked by a pit bull on the loose near her parents’ home while they were dog sitting. Iliana’s mom was out walking Lola along with her two dogs when the unleashed pit bull ran up to them.
“It was horrendous, it was awful, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said neighbor Kathryn Davis who was out jogging with her husband when she saw the attack.
“The dog just went right between us, latched on to that poor dog’s neck, and just didn’t let go. It was just horrible.”
At the time the pit bull escaped, it was being fostered by "love pit rescue,” a Dallas non-profit dog rescue being conducted inside a home in Lake Highlands located just around the corner from the attack.
So far no comment from the rescue. However, the owner of the rescue did text Iliana to apologize after the attack. In the message obtained by News 8, the owner did write that they were looking for a “sanctuary” to take the dog as well as were having a contractor come to the house to “build a privacy fence.”
A sanctuary??? Why hasn't animal control seized this vicious dog?
When News 8 visited the home on February 23, there was no privacy fence, and no one answered the door. Multiple dogs could be heard barking inside.
According to Dallas city ordinances, an animal owner must restrain the animal at all times “in a fenced yard, in an enclosed pen or structure, or by a tether or leash.” Invisible fences are not included in the code.
“I’m not against rescue dogs, just as Lola rescued me,” Iliana said, adding that she adopted Lola just over a year ago. “This dog has tasted blood.”
Lola had surgery on the night of the attack. The next day, she was gone.
“They (staff) informed me that they had just done CPR on Lola and that she had passed,” Iliana said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
After the attack, neighbors called police and animal control. They want more safety precautions in place at the rescue, including a fence.
“As harsh as it sounds, you know, at least at this point it’s only a dog,” said neighbor Mike McHenry who has two children ages 8 and 12. “Hopefully we can get something done before it escalates, and it’s actually a child.”
While Iliana mourns the loss of Lola, she wants to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
“This is just a wakeup call,” she said. “It happened to Lola. I know she’s a dog, but it could happen to a kid.”
(WFAA.com - Feb 23, 2017)
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