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German Shepherd kills Shih Tzu, woman says
A woman in Daytona Beach lost her five-year-old Shih Tzu, Isaiah, after she says a German Shepard in the mobile home park attacked him. Now, she wants that dog to be put down.
DAYTONA, Fla. - A woman in Daytona Beach lost her five-year-old Shih Tzu, Isaiah, after she says a German Shepard in the mobile home park attacked him. Now, she wants that dog to be put down.
"He was my son, he was not like a dog to me, he was my son," said Elizabeth Miller.
Miller says she was walking home with her dog when her neighbor’s German Shepherd came up behind them and attacked her dog.
"And shakes him like a rag doll," said Miller.
She says the German Shepard bit her ankle and hand as she pried her dog out of its mouth. She then rushed her dog to the vet, but after a 3-hour-long surgery, he died. Now she and her roommate don’t feel safe walking outside.
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"I don’t feel comfortable taking my dog outside. I don’t feel comfortable walking myself," said Anastasia Raabe.
Miller says the German Shepard is back home with its owner, and she wants to know why that dog gets to come home after a deadly attack. So, we reached out to the CEO of the Halifax Humane Society to understand why that might be. Adam Leath says Florida’s laws around dangerous dogs are very specific.
"If someone were to have had a dog that attacked a dog, and this was the first that took place, that would not be in accordance with state statute enough to declare that dog on the first attack," said Leath.
He says in order for a dog to be considered dangerous, it would have to attack or kill another domestic animal more than once, seriously hurt a human, or attack or aggressively chase a person when unprovoked. The law also says the dog's owner is held responsible for any damage caused by the dog. Miller says the dog was quarantined for 10 days, but he doesn't think it's enough.
"It’s not fair that my friend had to bring her dog back in ash form, and she gets to bring her dog back alive and healthy," said Rabbe.
The Daytona Beach Police Department told FOX 35 last week that this was the dog's first recorded incident. We are waiting to hear back from them regarding their investigation.