Two owners have been left “devastated” after their pug was killed by a cane corso during a vicious attack.
John and Emma Whatley, from North Lynn, started their day with a healthy three-year-old dog named Roxy – but never imagined they would be saying goodbye to her just hours later.
John was fixing his car on Thursday evening when he got a phone call from Emma, who was in “hysterics”.
She had been out walking the pug – which belonged to their 11-year-old daughter – on St Edmundsbury Road when they were approached by another owner with a much larger cane corso, which became aggressive.
John jumped in his car and rushed to the scene, where he saw Roxy lying on the floor, not moving, covered in blood.
Passers-by surrounded the dog, as Emma tried to follow the cane corso owner, who they say had taken off.
After a family friend had taken Roxy to the vets, the couple were told that she had severe brain damage and would need intense and expensive care.
“I thought to myself, ‘If that’s what it took, then that’s what it took’,” John said.
However, the couple were soon told it was highly unlikely that Roxy would ever get better, so they decided not to let her suffer any more, and she was put down.
“I went to stroke her. Her body didn’t move, but her eyes did, so she knew I was there,” John added.
The family is now facing vet bills close to £1,000.
Norfolk Police told the Lynn News that it has launched an investigation – but John feels like the whole situation could have been avoided.
He believes that although the man who owned the cane corso apologised, he is “irresponsible” and has not taken any steps to address the behaviour of his pet – which is an Italian breed of mastiff and is sometimes kept as a guard dog.
“There have been a lot of people reporting this owner, and the police have done nothing,” John said.
“I would like the dog destroyed.
“What’s it going to take? Does a child need to die before anything is done?
“My daughter is devastated. It feels like my dog died for nothing.”
