‘Nightmare’ of seeing dog savaged to death
A puppy owner has described the past few days as a “living nightmare” after she had to throw herself on top of the lifeless body of her pet to protect it from two dogs who attacked and killed it.
Every time Teresa Walton closes her eyes she relives the moment when her 13-week-old “baby” Cooper was snatched from her arms by two mastiffs, which then set about savaging him to death.
She had taken Cooper to K9 Cutz, a dog grooming parlour in Delgate Bank, Weston, to ask about their services.
She knocked on the door, but when owner Karen Creasey opened it, the dogs ran out and grabbed Cooper.
Teresa and Mrs Creasey battled to protect Cooper from the dogs, but the vicious attack only ended when they both threw themselves on top of him, with Teresa cradling the dying puppy’s head under her arm.
The attack left Teresa (46), of Delgate Avenue, Weston, with bruises and her arm in a sling after she sustained soft tissue injuries as she wrestled the dogs away from her defenceless cockapoo – a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodle.Teresa and her husband Terry now say they will not rest until they get justice for Cooper, who they bought on December 12 to help them get over the loss of their previous dog, Dexter, just a few weeks earlier.
They want to see the two “dangerous” dogs put down so they cannot put anyone else through what they are going through.
Choking back tears Teresa said: “He was such a little character. Our son has just left home and Cooper became our new baby.
“But I have hardly slept since because as soon as I fall asleep I relive it all.
“It is a living nightmare.
“The woman really tried to get them off, but she couldn’t control them. She was calling the dogs off and then she laid over Cooper and I went down onto the floor with his head tucked under my arm.
“I didn’t want them to eat him. The dogs were still circling and sniffing around.
“ I called the police and Terry and told him to come, Cooper is dead.
“It seemed like forever until they got there and then I put Cooper in a hedge because I didn’t want them to get him again.”
Shortly after Terry arrived.
He said: “I saw Teresa carrying Cooper and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was a mess.
“We took him home wrapped in his blanket and buried him in the back garden.
“We are never going to be able to replace him, but we will fight for justice for Cooper.
“It could so easily have been a woman carrying a baby, so I want to see the dogs destroyed – they have done it once so they will almost certainly do it again.”
Karen Creasey said she was “distraught and devastated” about what had happened.
She said she had not heard Teresa knocking on the door and as she had finished appointments for the day had let the dogs out to the toilet.
She said a sign on the gate warned visitors that dogs were running free.
Sobbing, she said: “It’s private property. She shouldn’t have been there.
“I’ve been doing this for six years and have never had a problem because when I have customers the dogs are locked away.
“I’ve debated destroying the dogs but it’s a hard decision – the dogs were just doing their job.
“I was physically kicking them and hitting them and trying to get them off her dog. I laid down on her dog to stop them attacking it, but there was nothing I could do.”
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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