Stray dogs kill pet poodle being walked by girl

COVINGTON, Ga — A young girl's pet poodle was attacked and killed by two stray dogs at an apartment complex in Newton County while on a walk.

Channel 2’s Diana Davis talked to one apartment resident who told her his kids actually played with the strays the day before the attack.

“They were just running around like for two days. Running around nobody knows whose dogs that is,” he said.

Several residents of Covington’s Arbor Lake Apartments told Davis they also saw the mixed-breed strays late last week.  One, they said, was part pit bull.

The resident told Davis his two young children played with the dogs Friday and said they did not seem vicious.

“They was friendly but they was a stray, so they was playing with my kids, but I put my kids inside because I was scared,” the resident said.

The resident said that when he drove in the complex the next day, he saw the commotion and police cars.

“I asked what happened and they said, ‘A pit bull is down there eating somebody's poodle,’” he said.

Apartment residents and the Newton County sheriff’s deputy told Davis the poodle was being walked on a leash by a young girl when both strays went after the poodle.

“And the smaller dog did appear to be deceased. Our dispatch lines were blowing up with people concerned that they did see two dogs attack a smaller dog,” said Deputy Cortney Morrison.

Newton County Animal Control officers were able to capture both strays. Though no one from animal control would talk to Davis on camera, an officer  allowed her inside to see both dogs.  Each dog appeared to weigh about 30 pounds.

Though apartment residents said they placed multiple calls to animal control and police the day before the attack, animal control officers and the sheriff’s office said they have no record of that.

“I was unable to locate any police reports regarding any animal complaints in that complex,” Morrison said.

A spokesperson for animal control told Davis that unless the owner of the dogs comes forward, and the department does not expect one will, the dogs will be euthanized Thursday.

WSBTV