Winchester, Massachusetts, Police say they're investigating after an unleashed bull mastiff got away from its owner and fatally attacked a puppy cockapoo.
The four-month-old cockapoo named Chase was mauled to death by an unleashed bull mastiff, police say.
"He lunged at Chase and he grabbed him with his jaw," said Dafna Leonard, the puppy's owner. "He threw him to the ground and he was biting him and shaking him."
The bull mastiff's alleged owner was eventually able to wrestle the dog off Chase, but it was too late. He died a short time later at an animal hospital.
"He was killing him and it went on for several minutes," Leonard said.
Police say the bull mastiff is the same dog at hand in "multiple previous and subsequent complaints" about aggressive behavior in both Winchester and Woburn.
"This wasn't the first time that one of their dogs attacked another dog," Brian Leonard added.
Neighbors say a rottweiler that lived at the same house attacked their dog three years ago. They filed a police report.
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
"The dog, the Rottweiler, had clamped onto his left rear thigh and turns out he had several puncture wounds in his thigh," said John Grausam.
His partner, Katrin Winterer, thinks the dogs should be removed.
"I think they're a threat to people in the neighborhood," Winterer said.
Police say the owner of the bull mastiff has failed to turn the dog over for a mandatory ten day quarantine. Police are now considering legal action, while neighbors continue to worry about the location of the dog.
Winchester Police say the investigation is on-going.
