This browser does not support the Video element.
Yorkie nearly mauled to death in dog attack
A small Yorkie in Melbourne almost lost its life after it was attacked by two dogs in the driveway of his home.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - A tiny Yorkshire terrier nearly lost his life when two dogs attacked him in the driveway.
The owner is stuck with hefty vet bills and wants to know what’s being done to keep dangerous dogs off the street.
Vinnie the Yorkie was on his leash in his owner’s driveway when two dogs ran up and attacked. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating as the 12-year-old dog starts a long road to recovery.
"He’s traumatized," said Donna Ellis whose dog was attacked.
Vinnie has a broken jaw, his eye is stitched shut, and he lost teeth during the attack, so his tongue hangs out of his mouth.
"To see your little dog being chewed up by two pit bulls, I was screaming hysterically," Ellis said.
She says she’s never worried about danger in her driveway, but that changed last week.
"It’s just very scary. There was a little girl in my driveway not a minute before this happened. Had she still been here, God knows what would have happened," Ellis exclaimed.
Reading the fine print: Why a family still had to pay for a wellness plan after their dog died
Brevard County’s Animal Control tells FOX 35, they are still investigating, and Vinnie is recovering. Still, Ellis has to pay around $4,000 in vet bills.
"What was done to my dog wasn’t right," she added.
We took these concerns to a lawyer who’s dealt with animal attack cases in Brevard County. He’s not involved in that case, but Geoff Golub says, the owner should look into a lawsuit.
"She can definitely sue for the medical bills to her dog, the vet bills and all that," said Golub.
The county also has an ordinance on dangerous dogs, and there’s a list online with dogs already declared dangerous in Brevard County. Golub says, one attack won’t land a dog on the list.
"For a dog to be declared dangerous, you have to have two severe bites or killing of another animal whereas if it’s a person, you only need one severe bite," Golub added.
Vinnie is lucky to be alive and may need another surgery on his jaw. Ellis wants more people to keep their dogs under control so other pets don’t end up on the verge of death.
"It didn’t take long to do that much damage. I mean you can see there’s a hole in the top of his head from their jaws," she concluded.