HALLANDALE BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman’s heart is shattered after her furry friend was mauled by a pit bull mix during a walk in Hallandale Beach.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Samantha Stone-Lorenzo said she was taking her best friend, 10-year-old Domino, a Jack Russell terrier, on a walk, Monday afternoon, when things took a deadly turn.
“Such a tragedy. That little dog didn’t deserve to die that way,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
The devastated pet owner said she and her dog approached another woman who was walking her two pit bull mixes. Upon spotting Domino, Stone-Lorenzo said, one of the woman’s dogs lunged at them.
“I made every effort to prevent any situation. Her dog just overpowered her,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
Before the attack, she saw one of the pit bulls carrying a toy, and then its demeanor shifted.
“I was like, ‘Oh, how cute, with the dog with the ball.’ The dog dropped the ball, the whole energy changed,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
At one point, the pit bull mix had Domino’s neck in its mouth, according to Stone-Lorenzo, as both women attempted to break up the vicious attack.
“She tried to grab hold of my dog’s back legs or sweatshirt, anything so that I could get a grip on trying to keep her dog off of me,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
Witnesses in the area came by to help as Stone-Lorenzo also worked to defend herself from the dog.
“I heard somebody screaming, I come out, there was a dog, an altercation with two dogs,” said an area resident who identified himself as Charlie.
“People stopped, jumped out of their cars, left and right,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
At that point, several people worked together in a desperate attempt to pull the dogs apart, with one man finally managing to pry open the pit bull mix’s mouth.
Unfortunately, it was too late to save Domino.
“I pried the dog’s jaws open because it was aggressively locked on there, but it was too late by the time I got there,” said Charlie.
“The hero of the day came from across the street out of his home with a four-foot crowbar. He was able to finally pop open. By then, my dog was – there was no more neck, he was destroyed, he was deceased,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
The owner of the pit bull mixes, Jennifer Masone, told 7News she suffered a hand injury that required surgery in the attack. She was later taken to the hospital.
She recounted what happened.
“I’m walking my dogs onto this side of the sidewalk coming around this way. I saw her here on the corner, and I made my way onto the street to create that distance,” said Masone.
Masone said she saw Domino moving toward her dogs and barking. Believing Domino wasn’t on a leash, she said her 9-year-old pit bull mix reacted on instinct.
“I feel like the owner didn’t realize she needed to retract the leash if she even had one and bring it closer to her because she was standing almost before the palm tree and the dog was over here. I feel like the distance was pretty big for her to even have done anything,” said Masone.
Masone said she called 911 and was saddened by how everything ended.
“Horrible, horrible,” said Masone.
As for Stone-Lorenzo, she said her dog was leashed and is now trying to process what happened: losing her furry friend violently and tragically, with just his collar and toys as a reminder.
“It’s all I have left. His leash and his toys,” said Stone-Lorenzo. “I’m devastated.”
Domino was an emotional support animal, helping comfort Stone-Lorenzo after her husband passed away.
“He was just a good, good dog. And perhaps, their dogs were good too, until they saw something the size of prey that they could pounce on,” said Stone-Lorenzo.
Despite the tragic circumstances that ripped her friend away, Stone-Lorenzo said the attack could have been worse.
“It’s hard to say but, however, it’s better him than a kid. What if it had been a baby in a stroller waving their little stuffed animal or something?” she said.
Broward Animal Control returned to the area on Wednesday. Officials told 7News they are continuing to investigate the circumstances suurounding the incident.
Stone-Lorenzo told 7News the only option she believes is left for the pit bull mix responsible for the attack is for it to be euthanized.
County officials said the pit bull mix is currently quarantined at home. As of Thursday morning, it’s unclear what decision will be made.
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